1797 Draped Bust Silver Dollar. BB-71, B-3. Rarity-2. Stars 10x6. EF-45 (PCGS).

This handsome piece is warmly toned in olive-gray, direct lighting revealing a speckling of silvery and pale gold undertones on the obverse. For the reverse we note highlights of iridescent golden-apricot, powder blue and champagne-pink. The strike is well centered with complete denticulation around both sides, the design elements retaining plenty of bold to sharp detail after a relatively brief stint in active circulation. Smooth in hand and visually appealing, there is much to recommend this coin to discerning early dollar enthusiasts. BB Die State III. The admission of Tennessee into the Union in 1797 presented a conundrum for Mint engravers regarding adding a 16th star to the obverse. Three known dies have been identified with the stars arranged in two configurations. Two dies were prepared with nine stars left and seven right and a solitary die with 10 stars left and six right. While it had been customary to add a star for each new state, this was becoming unsustainable. In 1798 the number was fixed at 13 to reflect the original colonies, though there was a 15-star obverse that was briefly used that same year. Typical for early Mint records, the precise number struck is not known. The official mintage of 7,776 silver dollars struck during calendar year 1797 is exceptionally low considering that around 3,000 to 4,000 of all varieties of this date are thought to exist. The actual number struck bearing the 1797 date is probably closer to 60,000 pieces. The BB-71 variety is seen with regularity in today's market, although the typical survivor is well worn and grades no finer than VF. High grade circulated coins in EF and AU are scarce, and they enjoy heightened demand given the challenging nature of the Draped Bust, Small Eagle dollar type.

PCGS# 6865.