Silver Dollars & Trade Dollars of the United States - A Complete Encyclopedia
Q. David Bowers
1795 Flowing Hair. BB-23.
Obv: Portrait II (Head of '95)
Rev: Eagle I, Wreath I (2 leaves)
(B.16.)
• OBVERSE 6: See description under BB-21. Obverse die used to strike 1795 BB-21, BB-22, and BB-23.
• REVERSE I: Two leaves beneath each wing. 19 berries, nine on left branch, 10 on right. Berries on outside of wreath include those under left side of N in UNITED, under center of first A in AMERICA, and under right side of C. One of the inside berries is below the center of M. No berry opposite either I on outside of wreath. Point of third leaf on right outside of wreath under center of I in AMERICA; This die bears a close resemblance to that used to coin 1795 BB-21, BB-20, and BB-24, and another die used to coin BB-15 and BB-16, and was probably made by the same person around the same time.
Reverse die used to strike 1795 BB-23 only.
• DIE STATES:
Die State I: Perfect dies.
• AUCTION POPULATION SURVEY: About Uncirculated: 1, Mint State-60 or better: 3. Total: 4. These represent duplicate appearances of the same specimen.
• COLLECTING NOTES: Bolender said this in 1950: "Unknown to Haseltine, the author's example is a Proof, and the only specimen he has seen or heard of in forty years' collecting. Rarity 8."
The obverse was known to Haseltine in 1881, who listed it as part of his B-Land H-10 numbers. The reverse was new to the Bolender book.
I am aware of just two specimens of this variety in numismatic hands today.
• NOTABLE SPECIMENS:
Elder Specimen. AU-58 .• Thomas L. Elder, sold in the 1930s to the following. • M.H. Bolender Collection, Bolender, 1952: 19. "Uncirculated, with Proof surface, a few trivial nicks under a glass, Beautifully toned, and a magnificent example, and one of the rarest of all dollars. Rarity-B. the only specimen known, and I believe it to be unique! Purchased by me at an Elder sale in New York 20 years ago. A prominent collector who was also in attendance bid against me, and it brought seven times the starting bid, and a new record for a 1795 dollar. The competition was the sensation of the entire auction sale. It is certainly worth more than any other dollar of this date. Plate. (Reverse of this coin was used for plate II in book.)" • K.P. Austin Collection .• AJ. Ostheimer, 3rd Collection .• Gilhousen Sale, Superior, 1973: 1218, Uncirculated .• ANA Convention Sale, Superior, 1975: 811. "Borderline Uncirculated with some faint obverse scratches, numerous reverse adjustment marks and lovely iridescent toning; full breast feathers, though with a small round nick on them." • Davenport Collection, Superior, 1977: 468, almost MS-60.
Reiver Specimen. F-15 .• Jules Reiver Collection. F-15. Two light scratches cross on the reverse.
• 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: 1 (URS-1)
Approximate population VF-20 to EF-45: 0 (URS-0)
Approximate population G-4 to F-15: 1 (URS-1)
Approximate population for all grades combined: 2 (URS-2)
• CONDITION CENSUS: 58-15