1797 $1 Draped Bust Silver Dollar PCGS XF-45 BB-72, Small Date, Small Letters

1797 $1 9x7 Stars, Small Letters. The reported mintage of 7,776 silver dollars struck for the year is certainly too small, and the likelihood is that many thousands of examples were struck in 1798 using 1797-dated dies. As Bowers points out in his Silver Dollar Encyclopedia, each of the three known varieties of the year is a distinct subtype: 1797 9x7 Stars, Large Letters (B-1, BB-73); 1797 9x7 Stars, Small Letters (B-2, BB-72); and 1797 10x6 Stars, Large Letters (B-3, BB-71). Each is also listed in the Guide Book, further increasing their popularity among the many collectors who attempt to assemble variety sets using that reference.
This is an elusive variety, although due to the confusion regarding mintage figures its rarity has been overstated in the past. The current rarity rating we assign, R.4, reflects a "very scarce" variety rather than an extremely rare one. This piece has medium golden dove-gray surfaces with good eye appeal despite a few small, darker brownish yellow areas on each side. The are pocket sof blue toning around the peripheries. The highest wave of hair on Liberty's head is lightly impressed in the die, and a heavy lump appears in the obverse field below star 9. The reverse shows a berry directly under A of STATES and lapped denticulation typical of the variety, but there are no visible adjustment marks or singular abrasions. A pleasing example of this perennial collector favorite.

Ex. Heritage FUN Signature Sale, Jan 2010 Lot #2583, where it brought $16,100.

New Purchase! Better images to be posted upon our return from the A.N.A. convention here in Pittsburgh.

Product ID	558567
Year	1797
Mint Mark
Strike	Business
Grade	XF-45
Variety	Small Date, Small Letters
Precious Metal Weight	0.77344 ozt Silver
Grading Agency	PCGS
Specification properties	No
Serial	53725659
Status	Active
Designation	BB-72,
Additional Info	-