Collectors who covet early coins from the first years of the U.S. Mint know that perfection is essentially unobtainable and are used to weighing a coin’s problems against its rarity.

Heritage’s January Florida United Numismatists auctions, held at its Dallas headquarters, offered a range of wonderful 1794 and 1795 Flowing Hair silver issues, including a 1795 Flowing Hair, Two Leaves dollar graded Very Fine Details, Holed, by Numismatic Conservation Services that sold for $12,000.

While common examples of the issue can sell for much less, this is one of just three known of the extremely rare BB-16 die marriage as listed in the Bowers-Borckardt dollar book. The BB-16 variety first emerged in a 1972 auction and the offered example was the second discovered, forming part of the Jules Reiver Collection, which Heritage sold in 2006 for $9,200.

This coin’s leading characteristic is its large hole at the top, and Heritage adds, “The silver-gray surfaces display a smattering of small roundish marks, and there are light pinscratches on the obverse field.”

Connect with Coin World:  
Sign up for our free eNewsletter
Access our Dealer Directory  
Like us on Facebook  
Follow us on Twitter