The only known example of a 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar with die marriage BB-19, B-19, certified and encapsulated by NCS. Click to enlarge

Numismatic Conservation Services has certified the only known example of a 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar listed for years in both standard references for early dollars, but not confirmed until now. This coin was struck from a marriage of two dies already known to variety specialists as being used separately for other marriages, but not until now did proof exist that this pair was actually used together.

This variety is listed in the 1993 silver dollar encyclopedia by Q. David Bowers and Mark Borckardt as variety BB-19, while the Milford Bolender book on early dollars and its 1999 update by Jules Reiver include it as number B-19. Both works note that a lone example of this die marriage was reportedly a part of the Frank Stirling collection, dispersed decades ago, but that no one in the current generation of silver dollar specialists had seen it.

This unique coin has been certified by NCS as BB-19 and B-19 and grades VG Details, Damaged. In the past, it had been holed and repaired in the field to the right of Liberty's portrait, and it has also suffered some gouges in the left obverse field. These issues mandated that the coin be certified by NCS instead of Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, as NCS will certify coins that are genuine but that have surface problems making them ineligible for NGC grading. Aside from the damage described, this coin has very pleasing surfaces and attractive pewter gray toning throughout.

Another interesting feature of this coin is that it exhibits the silver center plug found on a number of Flowing Hair Silver Dollars. This plug was evidently inserted prior to striking for reasons unknown, though some numismatists have speculated that this was done either to bring an underweight planchet up to standard or as a device to make counterfeiting more difficult. Whatever the reason, this practice was evidently limited to a small percentage of half dollars and dollars dated 1794 and 1795, the latter date seen more often.

Both NCS and NGC will attribute early silver dollars (1794-1803) by Bowers/Borckardt (BB) and Bolender (B) variety numbers under the companies' VarietyPlus service. For coins submitted raw (uncertified) or that have been certified by other grading services and are being submitted for Crossover to NCS or NGC, the fee for this service is just $7, in addition to the regular grading fee. Coins already certified by either NCS or NGC may have these variety attributions added under their Designation Review service at just $10, which includes the cost of reholdering.

NCS may be contacted by writing to P.O. Box 4750, Sarasota, FL 34230 or by calling toll-free at 866-NCS-COIN (627-2646). NCS's e-mail address is Service@NCScoin.com

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Residues can hide a coin's true potential. This 1898 proof Morgan Dollar is a prime and striking example of this phenomenon. This coin's surface was entirely blanketed with a purple and dull brown haze. A large spot covering Liberty's ear and lower hair on the obverse was particularly detracting from the coin's visual appeal. Otherwise pristine and one of only 735 produced, its true beauty and marketability were hindered by unattractive cloudy residues.

Careful efforts were taken by the NCS conservators to remove the offending residues. By first removing the large spot covering Liberty, then by removing the general residue and haze from the remainder of the coin, this coin's original beauty was revealed once again. Removal of the residues on this coin dramatically improved the coin's appearance. Following conservation, this coin graded PF 67 Ultra Cameo at NGC.

BEFORE Click to enlarge

AFTER Click to enlarge

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NCS will be on-site at The Long Beach Show in Long Beach, California, June 1–3. NCS show representatives will be available to accept submissions and offer opinions. NCS will be at tables 458-557.

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One of just two specimens known to exist!

Pacific Company was a joint partnership of 38 individuals formed in January of 1849. Their goal was to reach California with the prospect of coining the gold bullion then in such abundance. Arriving in San Francisco on September 16, the company disbanded before ever using the dies they had commissioned in the East. Instead, the dies evidently were sold to the established assaying firm of Broderick & Kohler in San Francisco, which then produced eagles and half eagles for general circulation. When the coins proved to be worth less than their face value, recipients refused to take them except at steep discounts. Thus discredited, nearly the entire coinage was melted within just a few years, accounting for the great rarity of these issues.

The quarter eagle and gold dollar dies were long believed by numismatists to have gone unused, except for trial strikings in off metals. Then, this specimen surfaced as Lot 1041 in Bowers & Merena Galleries' auction of the Paul S. Mory, Sr. Collection, June 22-23, 2000. This coin, the discovery specimen, was deemed proof that Pacific Company has intended to strike gold dollars for circulation, an otherwise unused denomination among assayers who produced gold coins in California in that era.

An ex-jewelry piece, solder obscures part of its reverse design. While this surface condition prohibits grading at NGC, it can be authenticated and details graded at NCS, which has described it as AU DETAILS, MOUNT REMOVED. Today, it is one of just two known examples of this popular Liberty Cap-design territorial gold coin struck in gold.

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