Silver Dollars & Trade Dollars of the United States - A Complete Encyclopedia

• COLLECTING NOTES: 1795 BB-15 remains a prime rarity, with possibly only four positively identified. M.H. Bolender wrote this in 1950:

In 40 years the author has seen only two specimens! One of these was handled by him four times, but was recognized as the same example. Doubtless a very few others are hidden away in collections, but without any doubts, Bolender-8 is "excessively rare" as stated by Haseltine. His specimen was not in the Haseltine sale catalogue of 1881, having been withdrawn beforehand and sold privately. Rarity 7.

However, Dr. Robert Stark advised that within a two-year period he saw three different specimens offered, one of which was repaired. (Letter to the author, January 3, 1993)

• NOTABLE SPECIMENS:
Boyd Specimen. VF-25 .• World's Greatest Collection, F.C.C. Boyd, Numismatic Gallery, 1945: 9 .• Numismatic Gallery's 1949 ANA Sale of Adolph Freeman's Collection, Lot 143 • M.H. Bolender Collection, Bolender, 1952: 9. "A little wear on high parts of hair and eagle, but VF and well-centered even impressions." • K.P. Austin .• AJ. Ostheimer, 3rd .• ANA Convention Sale, Superior, 1975: 801. VF-20 .• H. Roland Willasch Collection, Superior, 1990: 446. VF-20. "Medium gray toning with faint cleaning lines atop the surfaces. Very well centered and only a few marks, a couple below Liberty's eye and another on the eagle's neck. Faint die line is visible on all examples. The obverse 1. is sharp die crack from Liberty's forehead through her ear, neck and terminating at the top of her shoulder. This crack probably affected the striking as this and the Blevins coin show doubling on some letters of LIBERTY and a few stars." [Referred to here is "machine doubling," caused by die chatter.] • Jim Matthews Collection. (Coin illustrated in the present book; QDB and the present owner grade it as at least VF-25)

Reiver Specimen. F-15 .• The Jules Reiver Collection coin. Blevins Specimen. F-12 net. (VF-25, repaired.) • The H.W. Blevins Collection, Superior, 1988: 3590. "VF-25, silvery gray with some light golden orange reverse toning, exceptionally well struck with bold, raised borders, some tooling in the right obverse field which is probably the result of some initials or scratches having been removed, reverse choice and some lustre remains."

Fox Specimen. VG-8 net. (VF-20, damaged.) Marmaduke Fox Collection, M.H. Bolender, 1951. • Spies Collection, Stack's, 1974: 10. "The head is poorly centered although well executed. VF, but noticeably damaged by some severe dents obverse and reverse." Bolender said he handled this coin four times .• Heritage, Frank M. Stirling Collection, February, 1986: 1321.

Haseltine Specimen. Grade not known. • J.W .Haseltine's specimen was sold private prior to the auction sale of his collection in 1881. Presently untraced.

• POPULATION DISTRIBUTION:
Approximate population MS-65 or better: 0 (URS-0)
Approximate population MS·64: 0 (URS-0)
Approximate population MS-63: 0 (URS-0)
Approximate population MS-60 to 62: 0 (URS-0)
Approximate population AU-50 to 58: 0 (URS-0)
Approximate population VF-20 to EF-45: 2 to 4 (URS-2)
Approximate population G-4 to F-15: 1 to 2 (URS-1)
Approximate population for all grades combined: 3 to 6 (URS-3)

• CONDITION CENSUS: 25-15-12-8

1795 Flowing Hair. BB-16.

Obv: Portrait I (Head of '94) Rev: Eagle I, Wreath I (2 leaves) (B-20.)

• OBVERSE 4: Flowing hair in six curls. The lowest curl is very small and perfect, and touches the innermost point of star 1, as it continues to nearly complete a loop. Curl end is close to and extends toward innermost point on star 2. Last star partly under bust, but not as far under as BB-11, and not quite as close, but it is near. (Note: In BB-14 the last star is entirely under bust.) Wide date, most space between 1 and 7.
Obverse die used to strike 1795 BB-16, BB-17, and BB-18.

• REVERSE D: See description under 1795 BB-15. Two leaves under each wing. 19 berries arranged 9x10.

Reverse die used to strike 1795 BB-15 and BB-16.

• AUCTION POPULATION SURVEY: Fine: 1.

Total: 1.
• COLLECTING NOTES: Extremely rare. Just one has been traced. First described in Lester Merkin's sale of February 1972, Lot 299, by Walter H. Breen, as reprinted below.

• NOTABLE SPECIMEN:
The Stirling Specimen. F·15 •• Lester Merkin, February, 1972: 299. "New muling of known dies. Obverse Bolender-7, Reverse Bolender-B, but finer than Bolender plate coin of that variety. Immediately identified by straight die scratch in field, like part of an extra A, left of first A in AMERICA, pointing to the nearest berry; recut C in AMERICA. Just about VF, many obv. adjustment marks. Rev. sharper than obv. and fully VF. The Bolender-8 die was formerly known only by two impressions of that variety; the present muling is superior to either of them and in addition represents a discovery linking the Bolender-8 dies with the remainder of the group (Bolender 16, 10, 17, 1, 2, 7, 19, 18, 12, 5 and 6). Identified by Walter Breen, originally obtained merely as a specimen of the date. Unpublished, to date unique." Described as B-21 by Lester Merkin, this variety was later included in the revised. Bolender reference as Bolender-20. • Frank M. Stirling Collection.

• POPULATION DISTRIBUTION:

Approximate population MS-65 or better: (URS-0)
Approximate population MS-64: (URS-0)
Approximate population MS-63: (URS-0)
Approximate population MS-60 to 62: (URS-0)
Approximate population AU-50 to 58: (URS-0)
Approximate population VF-20 to EF45: (URS-0)
Approximate population G-4 to F-11): 1 (URS-1)
Approximate population for all grades combined: 1 (URS-1)

• CONDITION CENSUS: 15-0