1799 $1 Draped Bust Silver Dollar, Irregular Date-13 Stars BB-152 PCGS AU53

Here’s a desirable example of the Draped Bust dollar series, one that is quite attractive. This is the Reverse of 1798 variety, with a line star pattern upon the reverse. The BB-152 represents the less often seen Irregular Date lineage of die varieties.

The Irregular Date obverse die was linked with three reverse dies, each of them distinct. The BB-151 has a normal 1799 reverse, while the BB-152 has a 1798 reverse with a Line Star Pattern, and the BB-153 has 15 stars upon the reverse. PCGS has graded 31 examples of the BB-152. Of those, there are 3 in AU53 with just 4 finer. Collectors Universe gives the BB-152 a price of $12,500.00.

Finest known specimen of the 1799 $1 BB-152 graded MS64 by PCGS. Photo: PCGS Coinfacts.

Ron Guth writes in PCGS Coinfacts, “The "Irregular Date" is a single obverse die with the final 9 placed well below the arc formed by the bases of the first three digits. This obverse was paired with two different reverse dies, resulting in the rare BB-151 and the semi-scarce BB-152.”

David Bowers writes that the “1799 BB-152 is among the scarcer varieties of the year …. I believe that 300 to 500 exist. Haseltine in his day considered this variety to be very rare …. Most examples of 1799 BB-152 are in lower grades. Any coin grading AU or better is especially notable. Only a few Mint State coins exist.”