That is a very nice example, and, (in my opinion) way above average for this scarce issue. Congratulations!
Thanks. I bought it as Fine about 33 years ago. A few months ago PCGS called it XF Damaged and it sold at GC for $844.
Coming at this more as a stacker than a Seated specialist, but this thread is doing a number on me — the star-less obverse is one of the cleaner early designs and I hadn't paid it much attention before. There's something to that cameo effect Eduard mentioned; without the ring of stars crowding the field, Liberty actually has room to breathe. @CoinCorgi's point about the 2018 Innovation dollar obverse is a good catch — I'd never connected the two, but that open field with just the figure is clearly the same instinct, and it looks better before the privy marks and initials clutter it back up. Funny how the mint keeps rediscovering that less is more and then can't help itself. The die cracks on Randy's Type 1 are exactly the kind of detail that makes me wish I paid more attention to the numismatic side instead of just weighing everything. One of these is going on the "someday" list.
Coming at this more as a stacker than a Seated specialist, but this thread is doing a number on me — the star-less obverse is one of the cleaner early designs and I hadn't paid it much attention before. There's something to that cameo effect Eduard mentioned; without the ring of stars crowding the field, Liberty actually has room to breathe. @CoinCorgi's point about the 2018 Innovation dollar obverse is a good catch — I'd never connected the two, but that open field with just the figure is clearly the same instinct, and it looks better before the privy marks and initials clutter it back up. Funny how the mint keeps rediscovering that less is more and then can't help itself. The die cracks on Randy's Type 1 are exactly the kind of detail that makes me wish I paid more attention to the numismatic side instead of just weighing everything. One of these is going on the "someday" list.
