Description:

1798 B-1, BB-82 Small Eagle 13 Obverse Stars Rarity 3. NGC graded AU-58. CAC Approved. Subset of PCGS # 6867. Pop 1; 1 finer in 60. The Dr. Hesselgesser example fetched $356,500 as PCGS AU58. This scarce variety starts off with the usual 13 Stars (standard star count of the year), arranged 7 left and 6 right. Close date, knob 9, figures 98 close. Squared-off bottom to 7. The space between stars 6 and 7 is wider than the spaces between any stars 1 through 6. This obverse die was used to strike 1798 BB-82 (earlier use) and BB-91 (later use).

It is paired with a Small Eagle, Large Letters style reverse. Struck from the same die used to strike 1797 BB-73, there are eight berries in left branch. Lowest berry near ribbon bow is on inside of wreath. E of STATES lightly repunched. A leaf points to the left corner of the I in UNITED, another leaf points to the left corner of the first T in STATES while another leaf points to the very end of the O in OF. Another leaf is positioned away from the R in AMERICA.

This reverse die was used earlier to strike 1797 BB-73 dollars, Die States I through IV, then removed from the press and used to strike 1798 BB-82 Die State I (with cracks slightly advanced from 1797 Die State IV) and Die State II (equivalent to 1797 BB-73 Die State V), then the striking of 1798 BB-82 dollars was discontinued, and the reverse die was re-mated with the same 1797 obverse, and additional 1797 BB-73 dollars were struck.

Of the two 1798 die varieties with Small Eagle reverse (BB-81 and BB-82), 1798 BB-82 is the more plentiful, but only by a slight margin. 1798 BB-82 is the only 1798-dated dollar with 13 obverse stars in combination with the Small Eagle reverse; all others are mated with the Heraldic Eagle reverse.

An estimated 700 to 1,000 1798 BB-82 silver dollars exist. Several hundred specimens exist, most of which are VF. EF examples are quite scarce, and any coin in better grade is rare. True Mint State coins are great rarities. Bowers observed in his Bust Dollars encyclopedia, "I am not aware of any Mint State coin sold in recent years. The Thomas Cleneay listing is ‘ancient history’ numismatically.".
Estimated Value $140,000 - 150,000.

Categories: Dollars (please see lot 5000 for the Dr, Hesselgesser Collection of Bust Dollars