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Hello, I have always been fascinated by the Mint made silver plugged 1795 FH $1, Photo added 3/6/23
RobertScotLover
Posts: 595 ✭✭✭✭
while I am awaiting my recent acquisition, can any of the members possibly show theirs. And possibly have discussion on the subject.
Much appreciated.
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Welcome to the Forum @RobertScotLover. I don't have any FH dollars with silver plugs. I have many FH half dollars but none with the rare silver plugs.
I believe the Mint correspondence explains the reasons for the plugs and the adjustment marks, the rollers simply could not hold fine tolerances needed for accurate weight:
2/9/1795 Boudinot "The works consists of two rolling machines, one for hot and the other for cold metal, worked by four horses, and require five hands constantly to attend them, while in operation."
9/3/1796 Voigt "The rollers we have cast at Hanover Furnance in New Jersey, not one of them proved sound...because they cannot be kept round, the soft places will dent in Rollings, and the hard ones remain high, and make the gold and silver strips rolled, with any degree of accuracy."
10/27/1795 de Saussure "Great delays were incurred in obtaining the heavy iron work; particulaly the rollers, and these were not always fit for use when obtained."
Also of interest is the time for making dollar dies - "original die" is a master die. Robert Scot in his own handwriting December 1794:
Make sure to post your acquisition when it arrives!
Yes, please post images.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
@RobertScotLover: I agree these are cool coins and are a fascinating reflection of both the challenges faced by the early mint, and the dedication with which they tried to address them. Thanks to @Nysoto for his post on the history.
I've been a bit surprised over the years that there isn't more interest in the silver plug coins and an even bigger price differential than currently exists. I know that in the early 2000s, as this variety came to the fore, there was a flurry of submissions, but populations are still rather low. (the PCGS census has about 100 in all grades, compared to roughly 3000 1795 Flowing Hair Dollars in all grades without a plug)
Here by the way is my coin, acquired about 20 years ago from Heritage. (also the Heritage photo, though I take responsibility for the loss of resolution as a result of my cutting and pasting and formatting)
@RobertScotLover... Welcome aboard. The silver plugged coins are interesting. I do not have one, but have seen them at coin shows when I lived in the PNW. Please show us yours when it arrives. Cheers, RickO
Cheers and welcome!
Looking forward to your coin post.
This is the closest I have found to holed. Bought from J J Teaparty 10 or so years ago. It was a telephone purchase, I asked if the post mint plug could be knocked out, he said Yes. I bought sight unseen. He must have thought I wouldn't buy it if it couldn't be removed easily. The only one I will ever own. Some of you have seen it before.
Holed & creative:
why is it the only one you will ever own?
It doesn't appear that the solver plug can be knocked out in any way. Maybe the puncture at 12 on the obv for jewelry can be punched out but not the silver plug?
Perhaps that is the unique post-mint holed silver plug dollar?
Haven't seen such a perfectly round silver plug before and although it is a 3 leaf I cannot tell if it is the right die marriage although I assume all is proper. It is an interesting piece for sure.
I was not aware that the silver plugs were limited to one die variety.
Whatever, I don't have one. It's interesting, but quite pricey when identified, for a coin that is pricey to from the get-go.
Here are the two Flowing Hair Dollars I have or have owned.
This one has obvious adjustment marks, but they never bothered me. I bought it raw many years ago. NGC over graded it as an EF-40. I sold this piece when I bought the next one.
This one is an a PCGS EF-40. This variety tends to come with a blunt strike. There is some luster hiding in the protected areas of the letters and design.
Bill,
the silver plug is NOT limited to one variety, I believe it is limited to 5 die marriages.
Photo was added tonight, sorry for such a bad photo of the obv and tiny photo of the rev..
See 1st post.
Thanks for posting the photo, a lot of detail on the coin in an unattributed fatty.
I recently received the 1795FH and was extremely pleased with it. It is "au natural" probably kept in a leather purse/wallet for 50-100 years by the type of toning it has. The outline of the plug is much more pronounced in hand or when I personally photograph it on my 1phone X.
Congrats, glad you like the coin in hand. Is this a new specimen of a silver plug that was not previously known? The old NGC holder did not call it out, and the cataloger didn't attribute it with the plug.
The silver plug variety wasn't publicly written about until 1993, the holder is from the late 1980's so it wouldn't have been attributed or generally and/or particularly known about at that time. It also appears that the consignor wasn't aware of this being a silver plug or he/she would have notified the auction house of that fact. So since it wasn't noticed by the auction house probably due to too many consignments which is understandable it wasn't mentioned..
My particular theory is that the consignor must have passed away recently and his/her heirs put the coin in auction not knowing (the collector left no notes) what they had and like I mentioned the auction house went along with what was on the holder without having the time to inspect it close enough and relying on the label all due to lack of time, which is completely understandable given the number of lots in any internet auction.
Lastly the toning of the coin was on the dark side making further identification a bit more challenging since the toning of the plug which is typical of plugs sort of matched the toning of the coin in general.
Which resulted in my good fortune I guess one can say.