Q. David Bowers
It is a certainty that BB-11 and BB-12 were the first two struck (although the order of the two is not certain), and then BB-13 came next. As BB-13 and BB-14 shared a common reverse die, BB-14 had to have been struck when the obverse of BB-13 failed and was replaced with a new die.
As a further indication of the early time of Striking Period 1, we note that BB-11, BB-13, and BB-14 are known to exist with a silver plug. Quite possibly, a specimen of BB-12 with a silver plug will be located.
Striking Periods 2 and 3: Striking Period 3 is the largest group of 1795-dated dollars. Striking Period 3 is related to Striking Period 2 and followed it, but not necessarily within the same time frame. Striking Period 2 probably occurred in 1795. Striking Period 3 could have occurred anytime from mid-1795 through early 1798.
If and when high-grade specimens of certain of the transitional or change-over varieties become available for comparison-namely BB-20, BB-21, and BB-24-it will be possible to determine which of the "either-or" possibilities given below is the correct one.
STRIKING PERIOD 2. BB-15 (B-8)
BB-16 (B-20)
BB-17 (B-18)
BB-18 (B-7)
BB-19 (B-19)
BB-20 (B-2) At this point, the reverse of BB-20 was either: (1) Mated with an obverse to create BB-21, continuing a link to BB-22 and BB-23, and then BB-24 and BB-25 Die State I, or (2) Mated with an obverse to create BB-24 and BB-25 Die State I, after which time the dies for BB-25 were removed from the press, and the obverse used to coin BB-20 was mated with a reverse to coin BB-21, then by linkage, BB-22 and BB- 23 were coined.
-EITHER continuing to coin the following:
BB-2I (B-1) BB-22 (B-11) BB-23(B-16)
-OR, continuing to coin the following:
BB-24 (B-13)
BB-25 Die State I (B-6)
STRIKING PERIOD 3:
-EITHER:
BB-24 (B-13)
BB-25 Die State I (B-6) -OR:
BB-21 (B-1) BB-22 (B-11)
BB-23 (B-16)
Striking Period 4: Striking Period 4 stands by itself. The die pair used to coin BB-25 Die State I was removed from the press. The obverse die was relapped. The reverse was cleaned up, and a piece of foreign matter was removed from one of the leaf recesses below the first S of STATES. Striking Period 4 could have occurred at any time from late summer 1795 through early 1798.
STRIKING PERIOD 4:
BB-25 Die State III (B-6)
BB-26 (B-12) BB-27 (B-5)
Striking Periods 5 and 6: These can be considered as a pair. I have selected 1795 BB-51 as the first made, for it has the obverse portrait off center to the left. All other Draped Bust portraits from 1795 through 1803 have the portrait centered. It could have been that this die, putatively the first, was viewed as in need of improvement; thus, later dies had the bust placed in a more central position. More importantly, many prooflike Mint State examples of 1795 BB-51 exist, while only a few' Mint State coins, not prooflike, are known for BB-52. It seems logical that specimens of BB-51, representing the first use of the design in American coinage, were made for presentation.
The only argument for placing BB-52 as the first and BB-51 as the second, is that the reverse die for BB-51 Was used in late; years (through 1798). However, there is no indication that it was kept in the press after coining 1795 BB-51. If it had been, this could simply mean that 1795 BB-52 was struck after certain 1796-dated dollars were made from the same reverse (see 1796 section for more information concerning this die).
STRIKING PERIOD 5:
BB-51 (B-14). First 1795 Draped Bust coinage. Probably occurred in late 1795; mintage included prooflike presentation coins.
STRIKING PERIOD 6:
BB-52 (B-15). Second Draped Bust coinage. May have occurred any time from late 1795 to early 1798.