1799 Silver Dollar - 1799 S$1 NGC VF30 CAC. BB-164, B-17, R-2. This fully original and exceptionally clean, for the grade, 1799 Silver Dollar has light devices against a darker background. The fields are predominantly dark chocolate brown, while the devices are a soft, light brown creating an almost cameo contrast. While graded VF30, the coin shows drapery lines that are more consistent with a higher grade. The CAC sticker indicates that the piece is of premium quality and fully merits the assigned grade.

The coin is the BB-164 variety, which is one of the 7X6 obverse star arrangements. The letters of LIBERTY are close to each other. Star 8 is the closest star, and it is slightly closer to the Y than Star 7 is to the L in LIBERTY. Star 1 is farther from the hair curl than Star 13 is from the bust. The numeral 1 of the date is recut to a straight top. The reverse has five very large berries in the olive branch. These are the largest on any 1799 dollar. The point of Star 12 enters the eagles mouth, and it looks as if the upper beak is closing on it. A leaf points to the left side of the I in AMERICA. The first A in AMERICA is close to the feathers but does not touch them. The stem in the eagles claw is very short. A raised die flaw resembling an equal sign is under Star 2 at an angle. The far right edge of the A in STATES is over the junction of Clouds 3 and 4.

The Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle type dollar was made from 1798 to 1804. The obverse shows a draped bust of Liberty facing right. Above is the inscription, LIBERTY, and the date is below. Seven six-pointed stars are to the left and six are to the right. The portrait, 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 eagle with up stretched wings and a Union shield on its breast is called a heraldic eagle. E PLURIBUS UNUM is inscribed on a banner that curls across the left wing and under the right. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc near the periphery interrupted by the wing tips. In an arc pattern are thirteen stars above the eagles head under the clouds. The edge is lettered, and dentils are near the edge on both sides of the coin.

Robert Scot placed the arrows in the wrong talon in what some have called colossal design blunder. Arrows symbolize aggressive militarism when held in the eagles right talon, on the left side. They should have been placed in the left talon with the olive branch in the right. If this rearrangement was unintentional, it shows a new, inexperienced country that cant even get its symbolism correct. If this was a deliberate rearrangement, it shows a young country taking an aggressive stance during a time of conflict. In 1799 the country was engaged with France in an undeclared naval war. Perhaps this symbolism was being used to make a statement to France and others about the sovereignty of the United States.

The omission of the denomination was intentional. Except for its edge, the coin has no denomination-- something that might appear as a sign of ineptitude. However, since United States coinage was new to the world market of the 18th century, the term dollar would have been unfamiliar to merchants of the day. Like European coinage of the time, silver and gold pieces were valued by their weight and fineness so the denomination was largely irrelevant.

The BB-164 variety of the 1799 silver dollar is scarce. In its population report, NGC shows 10 in VF condition with 13 better. At PCGS there are none in VF condition with 7 better.