1802 Draped Bust Large Eagle Dollar, 2/1, Wide Date
Henry W. DeSaussure was appointed by President Washington in July 1795 to replace the first Mint Director, David Rittenhouse. DeSaussure served in this position only four months, but he made a lasting mark by bringing in Gilbert Stuart, the lionized painter, to redesign Lady Liberty. The result was a new coin called the Draped Bust dollar, featuring a matronly Liberty.(1)
The reverse displayed a smallish eagle very similar to that of the Flowing Hair design. Over 40,000 Draped Bust Small Eagle dollars were minted in 1795.(2) The following year, all the smaller silver denominations adopted the Draped Bust theme. In 1798, the small eagle was replaced by a larger, "heraldic" eagle and shield, an image more suggestive of national power and strength.(3)
The Draped Bust Large Eagle theme was employed in silver dollar production through 1803. One of the world’s most famous coins, the 1804 Draped Bust Large Eagle dollar, was actually struck in the 1830’s.(4)
There is not a great deal of variation in value trend histories for most dates belonging to the Draped Bust Large Eagle dollar series. The 1802/1, Wide Date dollar, charted below, is but one of many varieties representing this esteemed group of early United States dollars.
Any collector desiring coins with above average value increase potential would be wise to consider Draped Bust dollars.
There are specialists who pay much attention to die marriages (a.k.a. die varieties). For example, with the 1802/1 overdate, there are five known obverse/reverse die combinations. The variety identified as B-9 BB-235 is by far the rarest, with the other four being similarly available.(5) Certain die varieties can be worth significant premiums.
| Estimated survivors in all grades: 1250 ?
The survivor estimate from PCGS represents an average of one or more experts' opinions as to how many examples survive of a particular coin in all grades. Survival estimates include coins that are raw, certified by PCGS, and certified by other grading services. Learn more at PCGS. |
| PCGS Rarity Scale: 4.9 ?
The 'PCGS CoinFacts Rarity Scale' assesses the relative rarity of all U.S. coins, based on estimated surviving examples. The scale runs from 1.0 to 10.0. The higher the number, the rarer the coin.
Learn more at PCGS. |
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| Trendline Avg = 12.04 | CLASSIC RARITY |
Historic Value Trend Charts:
| Last updated 6-9-24 |  |
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| No Common Date Comparison. The 1802 is shown as a representative of Draped Bust Lg Eagle dollar group. All dates (except 1804) have similar price histories and are recommended. | ||
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| Download Charts to Your Computer | ||
Sources
1. Taxay, Don. The U.S. Mint and Coinage. New York, NY: Sanford J. Durst Numismatic Publications, 1966.
2. Yeoman, R.S. and Garrett, Jeff, et al. A Guide Book of United States Coins, 75th ed. Pelham, AL: Whitman Publishing, 2021.
3. Taxay, Don. The U.S. Mint and Coinage.
4. Yeoman, R.S. and Garrett, Jeff, et al. A Guide Book of United States Coins, 75th ed.
5. NGC. 1802/1 $1 MS.
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If you’re thinking about purchasing a rare coin, eBay is certainly worth a look. For your convenience, the links from this site to eBay are coded to bring up only coins certified by PCGS and NGC.
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Coin images by Stack's Bowers Galleries.
