1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar 3 Leaves PCGS VF-35 Offered by GreatCollections

America’s First Dollar Design Returns in GreatCollections Sale

GreatCollections is offering a 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar 3 Leaves, certified PCGS VF-35. The coin carries PCGS/Industry No. 6852 and represents one of the most important entry points into America’s first silver dollar design.

This is not just an early dollar. It is a relic from the moment the United States tried to turn a young republic’s monetary theory into circulating silver.

America’s First Silver Dollar Design

Congress authorized the United States dollar under the Coinage Act of 1792. However, the Mint did not strike silver dollars until 1794. Even then, production remained tiny. The Philadelphia Mint struck only 1,758 silver dollars that year.

Then, in 1795, the story changed.

The Mint installed a larger press. As a result, silver dollar production increased. The Flowing Hair dollar finally began to serve its intended role as the nation’s standard monetary unit.

Chief Engraver Robert Scot designed the Flowing Hair dollar. The obverse shows Liberty facing right, with loose hair flowing behind her. The reverse shows a small eagle within a wreath. The design lasted only two years, 1794 and 1795. Later in 1795, the Mint replaced it with the Draped Bust dollar.

That short life gives the Flowing Hair dollar its power. It connects collectors to the first federal silver dollar design and to the earliest years of the Philadelphia Mint.

Why the 1795 Dollar Matters

The 1794 dollar carries legendary status. Today, most collectors know it as a seven-figure rarity. Therefore, the 1795 issue fills a vital role.

It gives type collectors a realistic path to America’s first dollar design.

The 1795 mintage remains complex. Mint records report 160,295 dollars for the year, although researchers note that some 1795-dated coins may have reached production later. Also, some 1795 dollars used the new Draped Bust design. Even so, the Flowing Hair dollar remains the key collectible type for many early dollar specialists.

The 3 Leaves Variety

Early U.S. Mint dies were made by hand. Therefore, small differences appeared from die to die. These differences created many collectible varieties.

The 1795 Flowing Hair dollar is known with 2 Leaves and 3 Leaves reverse types. The name refers to the leaf clusters below the eagle’s wings.

On the 3 Leaves reverse, collectors can see three leaves under each wing. This feature separates it from the scarcer 2 Leaves reverse.

Specialists recognize 19 die marriages for the 1795 Flowing Hair dollar, created from 10 obverse dies and 11 reverse dies. The BB-27 die pair stands out as the most available variety.

BB-27: The Collector-Friendly Die Pair

The GreatCollections coin belongs to the broad 3 Leaves listing. The best-known 3 Leaves die pair is BB-27, also known as B-5.

Collectors can identify BB-27 by three leaves under each wing and by a diagnostic “bar” near Liberty’s hair. This bar is actually a die scratch. It extends from the topmost curl of Liberty’s hair toward star 5.

BB-27 also has a special striking character. Liberty’s portrait was deeply impressed into the die. Because of that, the coins show higher relief than some other varieties of the date. However, that same high relief made the central hair detail wear quickly in circulation.

So, even on collectible examples, Liberty’s hair often shows honest wear. That wear tells the story. These coins did their job in the channels of early American commerce.

A PCGS VF-35 Example

PCGS grades this GreatCollections example VF-35. For many collectors, that grade offers a strong balance.

A VF-35 early dollar should show clear major detail. Liberty’s portrait should remain bold enough for strong type appeal. The wreath and eagle should also retain enough structure to display the design.

At the same time, VF-35 keeps the coin connected to circulation. It did not sit untouched in a cabinet. Instead, it represents the working silver money of the 1790s.

That combination matters. Collectors want originality, detail, and history. A pleasing VF-35 Flowing Hair dollar can deliver all three.

Early Mint Realities: Adjustment Marks and Silver Plugs

Early silver dollars often show Mint-made quirks. These features can confuse new collectors. However, specialists view them as part of the coin’s creation story.

Adjustment marks offer one example. If a planchet weighed too much, a Mint worker filed the surface before striking. The strike often flattened those lines, but some remained visible.

Silver plugs tell another story. If a planchet weighed too little, the Mint could insert a small silver plug into the center. Then the strike fused the plug into the coin. Some 1795 dollars show this feature.

These traits show how difficult early silver coinage could be. The Mint had to meet legal weight standards while using young equipment, hand-prepared dies, and individually adjusted planchets.

GreatCollections Auction Information

1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar 3 Leaves PCGS VF-35

• GC Item ID: 2150792
• Certification Number: 45928115
• Country: United States
• Denomination: $1
• Strike Type: Business Strike
• Mint: Philadelphia
• Designer: Robert Scot
• Weight: 26.96 grams
• Diameter: 39–40 mm
• Composition listed by GreatCollections: 90% silver, 10% copper  0.7801 oz.

The coin also carries one of the most recognizable early dollar traits. The denomination does not appear on the obverse or reverse. Instead, the edge carries the value: HUNDRED CENTS ONE DOLLAR OR UNIT.

Market Context

Flowing Hair dollars attract steady demand because the type sits at the beginning of the federal dollar series. High-grade examples can bring major prices. PCGS notes that a top example, later graded MS66, sold for more than $1.2 million in 2005.

Yet circulated examples remain the heart of the market. They offer real history without requiring the budget of a trophy Mint State coin.

GreatCollections’ own auction archive shows active collector demand for the 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar 3 Leaves. The firm has handled more than 150 examples across a wide grade range.

That makes this PCGS VF-35 coin especially appealing. It has the date, the type, the major 3 Leaves attribution, and the grade level many advanced collectors can understand at a glance.

The CoinWeek Takeaway

The 1795 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar 3 Leaves is more than a type coin. It is a witness to the first working chapter of the American dollar.

The design lasted only briefly. The Mint struggled with equipment, dies, planchets, and production standards. Still, the dollar entered circulation. It moved through a young economy that still relied heavily on foreign silver.

This coin does not merely represent 1795. It represents the moment the United States began putting its own dollar into the hands of its citizens.