1799/8 Silver Dollar - 1799/8 S$1 PCGS XF45 CAC. Early Silver Dollar. BB-141, B-3, R-3. This early date 1799/8 Silver Dollar has light surfaces showing silver-gray with shades of tan, lavender, and blue. Traces of mint luster remain in protected areas on both sides of the coin. This 1799/8 Silver Dollar coin is graded XF45 because the lines of Libertys drapery show distinctly around to the hair curls. The hair is outlined and detailed. The surfaces are original and very clean for the grade with no notable individual abrasion marks. The grade is confirmed by the CAC sticker, which indicates that the coin is of premium quality and fully merits the grade assigned.

The BB-141 variety is identified by the last 9 punched over an existing 8. This obverse die is the only overdate used for 1799, and was made from a previously unused 1798 obverse die. The reverse has 15 stars with two stars covered by Clouds 1 and 8. Both stars protrude from the bottom of the respective clouds with the star under Cloud 1 more easily seen. The remaining stars form a confused arc pattern with five stars in the top row, six in the next, and one on each side of the eagles head. Researchers surmise that the engraver punched seven stars into the top row and then the two on the bottom. When he realized that he had placed too many stars in the top row, he made corrections by enlarging the clouds.

The Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle silver dollar was designed by Robert Scot. 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, 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. Fifteen 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.

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. Scots ability to make dies was limited, and he was advanced in years with 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 coin.

Because of the combination of two engraving errors, the 1799/8 Silver Dollar BB-141 is a popular coin with collectors and investors. In its population report, PCGS shows 1, the present coin, in XF45 condition with 10 better. As of August 2012, CAC has confirmed 4 in XF45 condition with 7 better.