Silver Dollars & Trade Dollars of the United States - A Complete Encyclopedia
Q. David Bowers
1802. BB-241.
(B-6. H-6.)
• OBVERSE 6: Close perfect date. Wide space between 8 and O. The figure 2 is distant from bust. Right foot of T in LIBERTY missing. This die must have been made about the same time as the reverse for 1801 BB-213, which also displays broken T letters from the same punch.
Obverse die used to strike 1802 BB-241 only.
• REVERSE A: See description under 1801 BB-212 (repeated under 1802/1 BB-231), Third cloud from left has a protruding spur; die flaws below E and around D in UNITED.
Reverse die used to strike 1801 (intermediate state) BB-212; 1802/1 BB-231 (early state) and BB-232 (early state); 1802 BB-241 (slightly advanced intermediate state); and 1803 BB-253 (if it exists) and BB-254 (slightly advanced intermediate state), and BB-255 (terminal state).
• DIE STATES:
Die State I: Perfect obverse die. Reverse as described above. Scarce.
Die State II: Obverse die with slight crack just beginning to develop from innermost point of star 7, headed toward junction of hair and highest ribbon. Scarce.
Die State III: Obverse die lightly relapped to remove the slight crack noted under II, making bottom arm of E somewhat light, removing the outline of the neck truncation and field at the left of the truncation, and introducing flat spaces in the lower left hair curls (one of which becomes a tiny "island"). By far the commonest die state.
• AUCTION POPULATION SURVEY: Less than Good: 1, Good: 4, Very Good: 11, Fine: 41, Very Fine: 100, Extremely Fine: 56, About Uncirculated: 31, Mint State-60 or better: 41. Total: 285. Average grade: VF-31.
• COLLECTING NOTES: With an estimated population of 1,500 to 2,750 specimens, 1802 BB-241 is more plentiful than all other varieties of 1802 combined! Indeed, it is the most common variety of the 1798-1803 Draped Bust style. In terms of all dates of early dollars, only 1795 Flowing Hair BB-21 and BB-27 are of about equal availability. Mint State specimens exist in multiples, a highly unusual situation for an early dollar. The spectacular list of "notable specimens," below, must surely contain duplications.
• NOTABLE SPECIMENS:
Clarke Specimen. MS-63 .• New Netherlands 48th Sale, T. James Clarke Collection, 1956: 649. "Brilliant Unc. 'gem.' Few infinitesimal signs of 'bag handling.' Pedigree: From Europe."
Merkin Specimen. MS-63. • Lester Merkin, September, 1970: 540. "Lightly toned, frosty, choice Unc. Needle-sharp strike."
Terrell Specimen. MS-63 .• Bowers and Ruddy Galleries, 1973: 72. "Sharply struck choice Unc., with a lovely light patination as acquired over a period of years. Exquisitely detailed surfaces and attractive overall appearance."
Washington Specimen. MS-63 .• Pine Tree, Suburban Washington Convention Sale, 1975: 252. "Brilliant Unc., frosty, sharply struck, light bagmarks mostly on obverse; overall, splendid and beautiful. Sharper strike than Herstal: 559 or other offered in recent years."
C.S.N.A. Specimen. MS-63 .• California S'tate Numismatic Association Sale, May 1974 .• Pine Tree, Suburban Washington Convention Sale, 1975: 253. "Rich, warmly toned Unc., well struck, there are fewer bagmarks [than on the previous lot, another specimen]." (This may be the same as the Terrell Collection coin.)
Fairfield Specimen. MS-63 .• Bowers and Ruddy Galleries, Fairfield Collection, 1977: 1038. "Choice Unc., with gray toning, light gray overtones. Well struck, well centered, and sharp in all details."
More Specimen. MS-63 .• Bowers and Ruddy Galleries, 1978: 726. "MS-63, Brilliant Unc. Pale silvery gray toning (the lightest kind), evenly distributed over the superbly clear surfaces. Fully struck on a superior planchet. Centered dies on the planchet. Lustre is not as bright as it might be in a few places, and there are some minute marks on Liberty's neck and cheek, but this is offset by a total lack of adjustment marks."
Adams Specimen. MS-63. • Edgar H. Adams. • Col. E.H.R. Green .• F.C.C. Boyd .• Auction '80: 1327. "Gem Brilliant Unc., uniformly well struck, obverse and reverse. Full blazing lustre under slightly mottled purple, gold and steel toning. The reverse with some sea green iridescence as well."
Auction '87 Specimen. MS-63 .. Superior, 1987: 1599. "MS-63. Sharp strike, hair and feathers bold, denticles on either side are raised and full. The obverse is lustrous and somewhat prooflike with superb lilac and bluish toning; reverse is untoned and silvery in its upper part, while its lower area is covered with splashes of deep violet and rose gold."
Rarcoa Auction '79 Specimen. MS-63. • Heritage, ANA Convention Sale, 1988: 967. "Mint State (62/62). R-1. Sharply detailed, steel gray specimen, boasting splendid mint lustre beneath splashes of rose-gold toning. Trivial edge bump on the reverse at 10:00 and a planchet depression between eagle's beak and stars 7 and 8."
1988 ANA Specimen. MS-63 .• Heritage, ANA Convention Sale, 1988: 974. "Mint State (63/63), prooflike. Lightly cleaned. R-1. An early striking, as evidence by the needlesharp detail. Reflective surfaces overlaid in a hazy blend of gold and blue pastels. A few faint hairlines are visible, more so on the obverse."