1795 $1 3 Leaves Cardinal Collection
PCGS MS62

A two-year type (1794-1795), the Flowing Hair dollar, along with the half-dollar of the same design, were the first silver coins to be minted in the United States. Although congressional authority was passed in 1792, mint production of silver and gold coins was delayed until October 15,1794 because of the $10,000 bond required by both the Chief Coiner and Chief Assayer. Because ten thousand was a virtually unobtainable sum in those days, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson interceded on behalf of Mint Director Rittenhouse to lower the bond amounts. This roadblock took over a year to tear down resulting in the production of only copper coins in 1793. Once the legal snarls were straightened, the mint produced over 1700 silver dollars dated 1794 on a single day (October 15) from a single pair of dies. The 1794 dollars proved to have a weak strike and production was suspended until May 1795 when a new, better press was installed. 160,000 Flowing Hair dollars dated 1795 were minted through October. A design change from the Flowing Hair to the Capped Bust took place in late October 1795 bringing the end to this short-lived, but historically significant, series. Examples of the 1795 Flowing Hair dollar are somewhat plentiful in the circulated grades but increasingly difficult to locate in the EF to AU condition. Mint State specimens such as this coin, are quite scarce indeed! Population is 4/12 and the Coin Universe list is $95,000.

$97,500