1799 Early $1 (1799 Early Silver Dollar) PCGS VF35. BB-166, B-9. This early 1799 Silver Dollar has light toning on the devices and darker fields, especially towards the edge. Lovely shades of sliver-grey, tan, lavender, rose, and blue are seen. The coin has an above average strike with full details on the highest points of Libertys hair and the shield. The dentils are complete on both sides. The surfaces are unusually clean for the grade and would be more than satisfactory on a coin that graded XF.

The 1799 dollar is the second type called the Heraldic Eagle Reverse. It was made from 1798 to 1804. The design shows a draped bust of Liberty 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, 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 in an arc pattern. 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 a 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. Either Scot made an error copying the image of the Great Seal, or he deliberately changed the symbolism in keeping with very warlike stance. Considering that the United States at this time was engaged in a naval war with France (the undeclared Franco-American War of 1798 to 1800, which took place on the East coast of North America and the Caribbean and resulted in the end of French privateer attacks on U.S. shipping), the latter is probably more likely. The French would be especially sensitive to a message within the heraldry, and the young United States was brash in that they had just defeated the super power, England in gaining independence.

The early silver dollars were minted from 1794 until 1804. The denomination was on the edge. Beginning in 1836, when the minting of dollars resumed, the denomination was placed on the coins reverse and the edge was either plain or reeded. In January, 1837 the fineness and the weight was changed. The former became .900 and the latter 412.5 grains. Coinage of regular dollars was suspended between 1874 and 1877. During this time Trade Dollars were issued, which were made to circulate in the Orient.

The BB-166 variety of the 1799 dollar is rare. Both grading services have certified 37 in all conditions and this does not account for crossovers and resubmissions. In its population report, PCGS shows 3 in VF35 with 4 better.