1799/8 Silver Dollar - 1799/8 Early S$1 NGC VF35. BB-142, B-1, NGC VF35 CAC. This overdate 1799/8 Silver Dollar clearly shows that it merits the grade assigned. The drapery lines show only slight wear and are quite prominent above the first two digits of the date. Libertys hair and facial features are well outlined. The surfaces of this 1799/8 Silver Dollar are original, and, for the grade, clean and free of individually distracting abrasions or other marks. There is a small rim nick above the F in OF. The vertical scratch marks on both sides are on the holder not the coin. The surfaces of this 1799/8 Silver Dollar are a pleasant lavender-grey with hints of teal, grey, and tan.

The last 9 of the date is punched over a previous 8. It is almost touching the bust, and the obverse stars are very close together. LIBERTY is widely spaced. Despite the presence of the 1798 date, this die was not used to strike 1798 dated dollars before it was used for the overdate. The reverse has 13 stars above the eagle. On the right part of the coin, the leaf points to the center of the I in AMERICA. A star touches the lower part of the eagles beak, and the ray of that star points to the left side of the U in PLURIBUS.

Robert Scot designed the Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle silver dollar. The design shows a draped bust of Liberty in profile facing right. Above is LIBERTY, and below is the date. Seven six-pointed stars are to the left and six are to the right. The portrait on the obverse, taken from a drawing by the famous artist Gilbert Stuart, is of Ann Bingham. John Eckstein translated this drawing to models for Engraver Robert Scot. Evidently Eckstein made the models poorly, which might explain why Stuarts family refused to acknowledge his role in the coinage design. The heraldic eagle reverse shows the eagle with up stretched wings and a Union shield on its breast. A banner inscribed E PLURIBUS UNUM curls across the left wing and under the right. Except for the wing tips, the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc near the periphery. Thirteen stars are above the eagles head under the clouds in an arc pattern. Dentils are near the edge on both sides of the coin. The edge is lettered HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT with ornamentation between the words.

Record keeping in the Mints early years was fairly inaccurate. At the end of the eighteenth century Philadelphia had recovered from the British occupation and Revolutionary War. It was the second largest city in the English-speaking world, but it could do nothing to protect its citizens from the mosquito-borne epidemic of yellow fever. Its wealthy citizens went to the countryside to escape, and the poor grimly waited their fate. Of course these annual epidemics caused havoc with all manufacturing that required continuity, such as a coinage sequence. In addition to yellow fever, chaos at the Mint was also caused by chronic bullion shortages, coin dies that would wear out and had to be re-engraved because they were not taken out of production until they failed completely, and a Chief Engraver, Robert Scot, who was in his seventies and had failing eyesight.

In its population report, NGC shows 4 1799/8 Silver Dollars in VF35 with 7 better. PCGS shows 2 1799/8 Silver Dollars with 5 better. This is the only 1799/8 Silver Dollar in VF-35 that's been approved by CAC as of 4-12-2012.