The First U.S. Dollar?

[BankNote1]

I just received the "Numismatic eNewsletter", A 1794 Speciman!?

 

FIRST-EVER U.S. SILVER DOLLAR BELIEVED FOUND

Steve Contursi, president of Dana Point, Calif., firm Rare Coin Wholesalers, announced he has what he believes to be the first silver dollar ever minted in the United States.

 

Professional Coin Grading Service certified the 1794 silver dollar as a Specimen-66 grade. According to Contursi, "I asked PCGS to assess the coin." PCGS founder David Hall concurred that the coin "quite possibly" is the first one struck.

 

The coin pedigrees to the Amon Carter Collection. Rare Coin Wholesalers purchased it for an undisclosed price from a private collection, said Contursi.

 

With regard to its value, Contursi said that it has more numismatic and historic symbolism than the King Farouk 1933 double eagle that sold last July for $7.59 million, emphasizing that he believes the 1794 dollar "is the most valuable U.S. coin in the world."

 

 

 

 

 

[EVillageProwler]

Contursi is certainly asking a princely sum for the coin, but that's a whole different issue.

 

As for the coin's being the first U.S. silver dollar, there is some supporting evidence of this:

 

1. We know that it is a very early die state, and the same used to strike the copper pattern.

2. The coin is very well struck, with some of the hallmarks of a presentation piece. In this case, fresh dies and sharp design detail brought out on the planchet. (This last part is important, as America's first press was really designed for stamping half dollars -- and not even so good with that!)

 

There are two other characteristics about this coin that I will mention merely because I find them interesting:

 

3. The coin has a silver plug.

4. The coin has adjustment marks.

 

Of course, the last two have no bearing on Contursi's claim, which is also widely accepted by the ED specialists as a realistic possibility.

 

EVP

 

[truthteller]

Ahhhhhhhhh! But does this coin exist?

 

 

 

 

TRUTH

 

 

[chrisfuccione]

I always thought Elisha Gallaudet's Fugio dollar was the first dollar minted in the US(true it was contracted out and not done by the mint). CHRIS

[PQSeated]

Someone posted pictures of the coin before. It was a very nice looking coin.

[chrisfuccione]

This came from the uspatterns page

 

link

[gmarguli]

Ahhhhhhhhh! But does this coin exist? They seem to have problems with nonexisting coins for sale.

 

Oh no, Mr. Lawsuit heard you and you've got a process server coming your way.

[keithdagen]

Ahhhhhhhhh! But does this coin exist?

 

 

 

 

TRUTH

 

 

Shame on you Truth.

 

David Hall did an article on it before he started auditioning for Shop-At-Home:

 

Link with pics

[BankNote1]

The coin is in a PCGS Speciman 66 holder. Or something is in the holder!?

[EVillageProwler]

The coin is in a PCGS Speciman 66 holder. Or something is in the holder!?

 

 

If you're questioning the existence of the coin, then you need not. The coin is so famous that many true experts and even many self-proclaimed experts have seen the coin.

 

If you're questioning the coin's lofty condition, then you also need not. The is breathtaking and not like any regular circulation strike specimen from that era. Of course, it may not be a "Specimen" in the sense it was produced ceremonially with dignitaries in mind. But, it certainly seems like a specimen struck from recently prepared dies.

 

EVP