1798 Silver Dollar NGC AU58 - 1798 $1.00 Point 9, Wide Date, B-23, BB-105, NGC AU58. Gun-metal gray, rose, tan, and teal highlight this near-Uncirculated 1798 Draped Bust silver dollar. The presence of these colors attests to the coins originality. The coin has an above average strike with strong details on the lines of Libertys hair, drapery, and the shield. Aside from the lower right obverse, the dentils are strong on both sides. Subdued mint luster remains within the devices on both sides of the piece. This rare variety is the second finest known at NGC and is tied for the finest at PCGS.

The BB-105 uses the same obverse die as the BB-104. It has a Pointed Tail 9. The wide date is firmly into the bust. Star 7 points directly at the lower left end of the L in LIBERTY. The reverse die has several flaws in STATES, one between the S and T, one between the T and E, and another after the E. There are 5 small berries. The two at the top are closest together. A leaf point is under the left part of the I in AMERICA. The stars are in an arc pattern. Star 12 is distant from the eagles beak, and one of its rays points to the center of the B in PLURIBUS. There are 13 arrows.

The Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle silver dollar was made from 1798 to 1804. The design shows a draped bust of Liberty in profile facing right. Above is LIBERTY, and below is the date. Seven six-pointed stars are to the left and six are to the right. The portrait on the obverse, taken from a drawing by the famous artist Gilbert Stuart, is of Ann Bingham. John Eckstein translated this drawing to models for Engraver Robert Scot. Evidently Eckstein made the models poorly, which might explain why Stuarts family refused to acknowledge his role in the coinage design. The heraldic eagle reverse shows the eagle with up stretched wings and a Union shield on its breast. A banner inscribed E PLURIBUS UNUM curls across the left wing and under the right. Except for the wing tips, the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc near the periphery. Thirteen stars are above the eagles head under the clouds. Dentils are near the edge on both sides of the coin. The edge is lettered HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT with ornamentation between the words.

In what some have called colossal design blunder, Robert Scot placed the arrows in the wrong talon. On the left side, the eagles right talon, arrows symbolize aggressive militarism. They should have been placed in the left talon with the olive branch in the right. If this rearrangement was unintentional, it shows a new, inexperienced country that cant even get its symbolism correct. If this was a deliberate rearrangement, it shows a young country taking an aggressive stance during a time of conflict. In 1799 the country was engaged with France in an undeclared naval war. Perhaps this symbolism was being used to make a statement to France and others about the sovereignty of the United States.

Thomas Jefferson chose Scot to be the first Chief Engraver of the United States Mint on November 23, 1793. Scot was born in 1744 in Edinburgh, Scotland or England. (Documentary evidence is lacking as to where he was born.) He was trained as a watchmaker in England and learned engraving afterwards. He moved to the United States in 1777, where he worked as an engraver of plates, bills of exchange, and office scales. During the Revolution, he was an engraver of paper money.

In 1780 he was made the State Engraver of Virginia. He moved to Philadelphia the next year. He was appointed Chief Engraver of the United States Mint on November 23, 1793 by David Rittenhouse, Mint Director. His salary in 1795 was $1,200 per year. The Mint Director received only $800 dollars per year more. Scots ability to make dies was limited, and in his advanced years he had failing eyesight. His work was somewhat less than that done in Europe at the time, and Scot was criticized for its poor quality. He was responsible for designs of most of Americas first coins. These include the Flowing Hair and the Draped Bust motifs used on early silver coins and the Capped Bust gold coins. Scot also designed the 1794-1797 half-cent, the 1800-1808 draped bust half-cent, and the Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace Medal. He died on November 1, 1823 and was succeeded by William Kneass as Chief Engraver.

The 1798 BB-105 is a rare variety. In its population report, NGC shows only the present coin in AU58 with 1 better. PGCS shows 1 at the AU58 level with none better. These numbers do not account for crossovers or resubmissions.