1799 Silver Dollar (1799 S$1) PCGS AU58. BB-163, B-10. PCGS Secure. Wonderful eye appeal with silver lavender toning. Secure Beautiful natural toning highlighted with lavender and hints of mint luster characterize this lovely 1799 Silver Dollar. Lighter in the centers and darker towards the rims, the coin shows slight wear on the highest points in keeping with the grade of AU58. The Secure designation attests to the coin’s authenticity and originality. For the sake of accuracy a small mark is noted on Liberty’s neck and the right obverse field. The strike is sharp on the obverse stars and the reverse shield, which is shown fully detailed as are the wings and tail feathers. Clash marks are seen on both sides with die breaks on the reverse as well. These do not in any way detract from the grade or desirability of the coin. The 1799 dollar is the second type called the Heraldic Eagle Reverse. It was made from 1798 to 1804.

The design shows a draped bust of Liberty 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, 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 Stuart’s 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 eagle’s 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.

In a colossal design blunder, Robert Scot placed the arrows in the wrong talon. On the left side, the eagle’s right talon, arrows symbolize aggressive militarism. They should have been placed in the left talon with the olive branch in the right. If this was a deliberate rearrangement, it shows poor political judgment. If it was unintentional, it shows a new, inexperienced country that can’t even get its symbolism correct.

Hesselgesser, a specialist and previous owner of the coin who put together a set of AU and uncirculated early dollars, said that this coin has fabulous eye appeal and was sold to him for a premium price.