New Issue in the acclaimed 'Visions of Liberty' Series. Announcing the minting of the new 2020 “Flowing Hair” Dollar! This is the second striking in the acclaimed Cook Islands’ “Visions of Liberty” coin series featuring a fresh view of a classic Lady Liberty reinterpreted for a modern era. This one heralds the very first appearance ever of Lady Liberty on the very first U.S. Silver Dollar, struck in 1794! The first half dollar, introduced in 1794, had been of the so-called Flowing Hair design. Its obverse bore the portrait of a youthful female figure whose hair flowed freely behind her; its reverse depicted a small, spread-winged eagle surrounded by laurel branches. The Flowing Hair dollar was the first dollar coin issued by the United States federal government. The coin was minted in 1794 and 1795; its size and weight were based on the Spanish dollar, which was popular in trade throughout the Americas. 2 days ago  EF40 1795 Flowing Hair Half Dollar - O-125 - Graded ANACS. We acquire coins from a variety of sources with some being graded before we get them and some we send out to grading service companies after we receive them. If you ever have a question about the grading of a coin, please contact the grading service company with the serial number of the. Designed by Robert Scot, the 1794 Flowing Hair dollar is the coin that began the American tradition of silver dollars, even though it was, in concept, based on other large-size.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The owner of a 1794 U.S. silver dollar said to be among the first ever minted and shown to be the most expensive ever sold is preparing to put the coin up for public auction in Las Vegas.

Experts say the piece dubbed the Flowing Hair Silver Dollar might again fetch the $10 million that Las Vegas resident Bruce Morelan spent to buy it in 2013.

“This coin is so valuable because it has been identified as perhaps the first piece made in silver” in the young United States, said Douglas Mudd, director of the American Numismatic Association museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where the coin used to be displayed.

“It has the record for the sale of any private coin anywhere in the world that we know of,” Mudd said. “It’s in beautiful condition.”

Morelan said documents show the coin — featuring Lady Liberty ringed with stars on the front and an eagle on the back — was one of 1,758 silver dollars struck in one day at the first U.S. Mint in Philadelphia. It was presented to then-U.S. Secretary of State Edmund Jennings Randolph, who referred to it with a letter to President George Washington.

Perhaps 300 of those original silver dollars still exist, Mudd said, including about 100 circulating among collectors.

Brett Charville, president of Professional Coin Grading Service of Santa Ana, California, certifies Morelan’s coin is authentic. He grades it a “specimen,” above mint condition, and a 66 on a scale with 70 being perfect. Another 1794 silver dollar, graded 35 of 70, sold last January for $288,000, and one graded at 12 sold last year for $99,000, he said.

“It’s widely believed that this was the first coin off the press,” Charville said of Morelan’s coin.

The next-most-valuable coin is a 1933 $20 U.S. gold double-eagle that sold for $7.59 million in 2002, Charville added.

Morelan bought the Flowing Hair dollar from the nonprofit Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation of Sunnyvale, California, which bought it in 2010 for $7.85 million from Steven Contursi, a collector who acquired it for an undisclosed sum in 2003.

Cardinal Collection curator Martin Logies wrote a book about the coin, which Mudd said has several distinctive Mint-made marks resulting from filing it to ensure it was $1 worth of silver at the time.

“Some people buy real estate, some buy stocks. I buy coins,” Morelan said Friday after displaying his world’s most valuable coin Wednesday and Thursday at an event hosted by Charville’s business at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

“I really enjoy building sets. It was the centerpiece of the set,” he said. “It’s time to let other collectors own the set.”

The auction, scheduled Oct. 8 at The Venetian, will feature Morelan’s set of silver dollars dated from 1794 to 1804, along with several other of his rare coins in denominations from a half-penny to $10 gold piece. Legend Rare Coin Auctions CEO Matthew Bell called organizing the event a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Flowing Hair Dollar Worth

According to the U.S. Mint, the first-ever circulating U.S. coins were struck in March 1793 in Philadelphia. The more than 11,000 copper cents that were produced drew complaints because they were larger than a modern quarter; bulky for small change.

A different Lady Liberty image was adopted for silver dollars beginning in 1795.

Mudd noted that Lady Liberty remained standard on U.S. coins until 1909, when pennies began being minted with the face of former President Abraham Lincoln.

Flowing Hair Dollar For Sale

CoinTrackers.com has estimated the 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar value at an average of $47148, one in certified mint state (MS+) could be worth $825,098. (see details)...

Type:Flowing Hair Dollar
Year:1794
Mint Mark: No mint mark
Face Value: 1.00 USD
Total Produced: 2,000 [?]
Silver Content: 90%
Silver Weight: .7735 oz.
Silver Melt: $21.05
Value: As a rough estimate of this coins value you can assume this coin in average condition will be valued at somewhere around $47148, while one in certified mint state (MS+) condition could bring as much as $825,098 at auction. This price does not reference any standard coin grading scale. So when we say average, we mean in a similar condition to other coins issued in 1794, and mint state meaning it is certified MS+ by one of the top coin grading companies. [?].

Additional Info: Our system rounds the number of coins produced to the thousand. There were only 1,758 of these issued. The 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar was the first dollar coin ever issued by the United States government. Previous attempts had been made by the states, but the 1794 silver dollar was the first dollar coin to be standardized. This coin is a very important piece of American History, and with just 1758 of them minted they are very rare. Make sure this coin is certified.

Numismatic vs Intrinsic Value:This coin in poor condition is still worth $47126.95 more than the intrinsic value from silver content of $21.05, this coin is thus more valuable to a collector than to a silver bug. Coins worth more to a collectors may be a better long term investment. If the metal prices drop you will still have a coin that a numismatic would want to buy.

Want more info? Then read Coin Collecting Investment an article that details the benifits of coin collecting as a way to build wealth. Also learn how to properly store your coins.

Current silver melt value* for a 1794 No mint mark is $21.05 and this price is based off the current silver spot price of $27.22 This value is dynamic so bookmark it and comeback for an up to the minute silver melt value.

Want to join CoinTrackers and Track Your Coins 100% FREE?

More of the Same

All US Dollar Coins

• *list does not count the newer Presidential Dollars

Most Valuable Coins by Type...

[Top of Page]

**When we say that 2,000, of these coins were produced or minted in 1794 this number doesn't always match the actual circulation count for this coin. The numbers come from the United States mint, and they don't reflect coins that have been melted, destroyed, or those that have never been released. Please keep that in mind.

[Top of Page]

***Price subject to standard supply and demand laws, dealer premiums, and other market variations. Prices represent past values fetched at online auctions, estate sales, certified coins being sold by dealers, and user submitted values. While we wholeheartedly try to give honest price estimates there are many factors besides appearance, metal content, and rarity that help make up the coins overall value.Call or visit your local coin dealer for more information.

We use user submitted pictures please read that article if you are interested in adding your own.

[Top of Page]