1797 9x7 Stars, Small Letters

The 1797 9x7 Stars Small Letters Draped Bust Dollar carries an obverse with 9 stars on the left and 7 stars on the right (16 stars total) paired with Small letters in the reverse legend, distinguishing it from the matched 9x7 Stars Large Letters variety. The 1797 dollar production was limited to a combined 7,776-piece annual mintage across all varieties. The 1797 9x7 Stars Small Letters carries the Small Eagle reverse that defines the early Draped Bust era and the Robert Scot engraving of the Gilbert Stuart obverse portrait. The Small Letters reverse uses a different letter-punch set than the Large Letters reverse, reflecting Mint die-preparation variations across the small annual production.

Strike quality on the 1797 9x7 Stars Small Letters varies across the small production, with central definition on Liberty and the eagle often soft on the limited die work. Most surviving examples grade VG to VF from heavy circulation in the late 1790s and early 1800s, with PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC populations clustering at F and VF. Mint State examples are genuinely rare. Die marriages are catalogued by the Bowers-Borckardt (BB) attribution system, with the 9x7 Stars Small Letters representing specific die marriages distinct from the Large Letters variety.

The 1797 9x7 Stars Small Letters is a regular common date for the very small 1797 production year and trades at premium levels reflecting both the small surviving population and the variety-collecting demand. The 1797 9x7 Stars Small Letters pairs with the 1797 10x6 Stars and 9x7 Stars Large Letters as the three matched 1797 star-and-letter variety triad. Authentication concerns center on cleaning, polishing, edge damage, and counterfeit detection; certified slabs from PCGS or NGC with BB die-marriage attribution noted on the holder are essential at any meaningful price level. For the Tennessee admission context and the broader 1797 production history, see the Draped Bust Dollar series history.