1800 Silver Dollar - 1800 S$1 12 Arrows, NGC XF40. BB-196, B-17, R-1. This attractively toned 1800 Silver Dollar has light devices over darker fields, particularly on the obverse. Traces of mint luster are present in protected areas of both sides. The obverse is a mixture of lilac and blue-gray with the former more prominent on Libertys neck, the upper bust, and date and the latter more on the field. The reverse is more uniformly toned steel-gray with highlights of gold and shades of light gray. The strike is above average with strong details on some of the obverse stars, Libertys hair, the drapery, the shield, and the clouds. The lower dentils are stronger and more prominent on both sides. The surfaces show light wear, in keeping with the grade. They are original and clean with no notable abrasion marks worthy of description. The vertical marks on both sides of the piece are on the holder not the coin.

The coin is a BB-196. The variety is identified by the collar clash mark on the obverse and the line that extends to the left from just above the foot of the 1 in the date. The reverse has only 12 arrows in the eagles talon. The point of Star 12 touches the upper part of the eagles beak. The two dies that were used for this coin made no other varieties. 

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.

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 coins.

In its population report, NGC shows 2 BB-196s in XF40 condition with 13 better. At PCGS there is 1 in XF40 with 5 better. These numbers do not account for crossovers or resubmissions.