1798 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. Heraldic Eagle. BB-124, B-24. Rarity-2. Pointed 9, 4 Lines. AU-55 (PCGS).
A lovely example, both sides are near-fully lustrous with a soft satin texture overall. Otherwise brilliant with a silver-white appearance, blushes of reddish-gold iridescence are tightly confined to the upper obverse and lower reverse borders. The obverse die was damaged and sunken in this advanced state (see below), resulting in softness to Liberty's bust and in the opposing area at the upper right reverse. Besides this we note bold to sharp detail that is in keeping with the desirable Choice AU grade from PCGS. Impressively smooth overall and sure to please the discerning numismatist. BB Die State IV. As one of the more readily obtainable die pairings of the date, the 1798 BB-124 is popular both with type collectors and specialists in the early dollar series. The latter are often drawn to this variety due to the multiple die states that have been observed among surviving examples. Of the 600 to 1,100 coins believed extant in all grades (per Q. David Bowers, 2013), most are BB Die State III. For BB Die State IV Bowers notes simply, "A few BB-124 dollars are of this die state," implying scarcity, if not rarity. Myriad obverse die cracks make for exciting observation with the aid of a loupe. In the final state, BB V, the lower right obverse would shatter; such examples were possibly struck during calendar year 1799.
PCGS# 40018.