Lot 1089
1799/8 Draped Bust Dollar. 15 stars on reverse. NGC graded AU-58. A well struck example on a problem-free planchet with plenty of mint luster intact. The surfaces exhibit light to medium mottled golden toning on both sides with lovely honey-gold shades around the periphery. Luster extends right across the coin from center to periphery in a veritable extravaganza of beauty.
BB-141 is made famous by 15 stars on reverse; this is definitive, although to the uninitiated the two extra stars are not readily seen, at least at first. The two supernumerary stars are nearly lost in cloud 1 and cloud 8, and just the points show. The one protruding from the bottom of cloud 1 is the most easily seen. The result is a blundered arc pattern of stars with five (instead of six) stars in the top row, six (instead of five) in the second row, and the usual one to each side of the eagle's head, plus the superfluous star points peeking out from the bottoms of clouds 1 and 8.
The process was accomplished as follows: The engraver first punched seven stars in the top row, six in the second row, and the normal single stars to each side of the eagle's head. He then took count and realized that he had one too many stars in the top row, and one too many stars in the second row, for a total of 15. To disguise his blunder, he enlarged clouds 1 and 8, making them greatly oversized to cover up the first and last stars in the top row, reducing the count to an abnormal five (instead of the normal six), so that the abnormal six (instead of five) in the second row would not have to be altered. The normal star arrangement, top to bottom, is: 6-5-2. Before alteration, this reverse die was 7-6-2. After alteration, it was 5-6-2.
Leaf point under left upright of I in America. Die crack near border above ATES. Another crack above OF AM. The D in UNITED is repunched and there are die flaws in the right side of this letter. Far right edge of A is over cloud 3. Reverse usually not fully struck up at the center, due to sinking of the die, although on this particular coin, the design is much crisper than average and so enhances the desirability all the more. Pop 4; 4 better with 1 in 61, 2 in 62, 1 in 64.
Estimated Value $11,000 - 12,000.
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