Q. David Bowers
1977 ANA Convention Sale Specimen. MS-63 .• Kagin's ANA Convention Sale, 1977: 1748. "Splendid iridescent toning, flawless surfaces except for faint light spot on cheek, well struck except at very centers, no bagmarks, well centered, many light adjustment marks near obverse borders, heavier ones near central obverse."
Auction '80 Specimen. MS-63 .• Rarcoa, Auction '80, 1980: 1614. "Almost full original mint lustre showing beneath delicate golden toning, obverse hair virtually completely struck up, only slight weakness to denticles below date, light mint planchet adjustment marks visible on obverse, reverse is exceptionally well struck with only very center of breast feathers not full."
Auction '85 Specimen. MS-63 .• Stack's, Auction '85, 1985: 1745. "Wholly prooflike obverse and frosty and prooflike reverse, sharply struck except for centers, each star with full radial lines and head cameo-like, beautifully centered and splendid strike, natural olive, steel and blue iridescent toning."
Davenport Specimen. MS-63 .• Stack's, Davenport Collection, 1977: 406. "Superb iridescent toning with golden and sea-green overtones, full 'cartwheel' effect, toning lighter on high points no doubt as a result of having been stored in a velvet lined coin cabinet the drawers of which caused light cabinet friction, sharply struck, virtually all denticles sharp and part of feathers evident on eagle's breast, radial lines on all stars sharp, eye of eagle bold, surfaces immaculate."
Hall Collection. MS-63 •• Bowers and Ruddy, Hall Collection, 1978: 1672. "Attractive grayish blue toning over excellent fields, perfectly centered dies, faint adjustment marks-a few across high points of Liberty's hair and some just touching the denticles below the date and on the left side of the obverse, strong strike."
Helfenstein Sale. MS-63. • Lester Merkin, Helfenstein Collection, 1968: 276. "Iridescent rainbow toned choice Uncirculated, prooflike fields, frosty devices, needle sharp everywhere except very centers, some adjustment marks in central curls. Broad and bold borders, all stars sharp."
Robison Specimen. MS-63 .• Stack's, Ellis H. Robison Collection, 1982: 1854. "Brilliant Uncirculated, full frosty mint lustre and a 'cartwheel' effect, central portion slightly weak with not all breast feathers showing, not rubbed nor does it have a defect save for a minuscule planchet defect on the edge near the first S of STATES, toned a pale russet and steel with reverse a trifle lighter."
Ebsen Specimen. MS-63. - Superior, Buddy Ebsen Collection, 1987: 1876. "Well struck and wholly prooflike, perfectly centered on a problem-free planchet with no adjustment marks or other deterrents, all denticles on both sides discernible with no central weakness, most breast feathers still present, obverse brilliant with light grayish and pale violet toning, reverse toned with frosty mint surfaces overlaid with violet blending to blue and turquoise iridescence."
Miller Specimen. MS-63. - Superior, Hoagy Carmichael and Wayne Miller collections. 1986: 1174. "Sharply struck but for the exact center, each star has full radial lines, hair curls clearly defined, beautifully centered, excellent strike, toning of deep steel, pale violet, russet and electric blue iridescent."
Turoff Specimen. MS-63. • Bowers and Ruddy, Julius Turoff Collection, 1976: 1028. "Gem Uncirculated, above average striking, deep lilac toning."
Winsor Specimen. MS-60. • Richard Winsor Collection, Chapman brothers, 1895 .• William Forrester Dunham Collection, B. Max Mehl, 1941. "Magnificent Uncirculated,"
Stirling Specimen. MS-60 .• B. Max Mehl, February 1954. • Frank M. Stirling Collection, Heritage, February 1986: 1326. "An alluring golden-gray and iridescent blue toned specimen .... A few scattered hairlines and a small dent at the base of Liberty [on neck truncation]."
• POPULATION DISTRIBUTION:
Approximate population MS-65 or better: 1 or 2 (URS-1)
Approximate population MS-64: 3 to 5 (URS-3)
Approximate population MS-63: 12 to 20 (URS- 5)
Approximate population MS-60 to 62: 30 to 50 (URS-6)
Approximate population AU-50 to 58: 100 to 150 URS-8)
Approximate population VF-20 to EF-45: 1,300 to 1,800 (URS-12)
Approximate population G-4 to F-15: 1,000 to 1,600 (URS-12)
Approximate population for all grades combined: 2,500 to 3,500 (URS-13)
• CONDITION CENSUS: 65-64-64-64-63 (multiples)
APOCRYPHAL VARIETY: Bolender-17.
Notes about the so-called 1795 Bolender-17, now believed to be non-existent:
In 1950, M.H. Bolender described Bolender-17 -as the mating of the obverse of Bolender-2 (BB-20) with-the reverse of Bolender-10 (BB-22). Further: "This combination is excessively rare. Not known to Haseltine. The only specimen known to the author was in the famous Primus C. Clark Collection, catalogued and sold by Mr. Bolender in 1932. Rarity 8."
"The Extensive Collection of Mr. P.C. Clark of Cleveland, Ohio," as the title page read, was sold on Tuesday, November 29,1932, to bids submitted to Bolender's Orangeville, lllinois address. Lot 299, not illustrated, was described as follows:
"1795 silver dollar. Newly discovered variety. The obverse is similar to Haseltine 2. The reverse has nineteen berries in the wreath, ten on left branch, nine on right. There are three berries on left side between bow and eagle's wing, two on inside of wreath, and one on outside directly under center of letter I in UNITED. There are four berries on right side between bow and eagle's wing, the two on inside of branch large, and the two outside small. The tenth berry on left side is on lower side of stem near last single leaf. Fine, minute nicks, a few planchet file marks On reverse. Excessively rare, unpublished variety, and the only one I have ever seen,"
If Bolender's notes were accurate, then Bolender-17 existed at one time. However, the coin is unknown to modern scholars, and some have suggested that Bolender misattributed the example he saw. It is unusual that Bolender in 1932 did not state that the reverse die was that of H-10. Instead, he described it as a new die, apparently one unknown to Haseltine. The Primus C. Clark coin went to a customer. Apparently, by the time that Bolender published his book in 1950, he had lost track of the coin; it was not in his collection sold in 1952.
If Bolender misattributed it, the Clark coin could have been an H-10 (later known as Bolender-10), which has the same reverse as "Bolender-17," but is paired with a different obverse. The Clark piece was just Fine, not a grade level which permits detailed observation of all features. The jury is still out on Bolender-17.