1798 Pointed 9, 4 Vertical Lines

The 1798 Pointed 9, 4 Vertical Lines Draped Bust Dollar combines the Pointed 9 obverse date-punch (with a sharp, pointed terminal on the digit 9 rather than the rounded Knob 9 terminal) with a reverse shield showing 4 vertical lines. The 1798 Pointed 9, 4 Vertical Lines belongs to the broader 1798 Heraldic Eagle production sequence and is one of the documented date-punch and die-line varieties within the 1798 combined 327,536-piece annual mintage. The 1798 Pointed 9, 4 Vertical Lines carries the standard Heraldic Eagle reverse with 13 obverse stars and the Robert Scot engraving of the Gilbert Stuart obverse portrait.

Strike quality on the 1798 Pointed 9, 4 Vertical Lines varies across the small specific die-marriage production. 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 Pointed 9, 4 Vertical Lines representing specific BB die marriages distinct from the Knob 9 and 5 Vertical Lines varieties.

The 1798 Pointed 9, 4 Vertical Lines is a popular variety pickup for collectors documenting the 1798 date-punch and die-line varieties and trades at meaningful premiums above the standard 1798 Heraldic Eagle baseline at every grade. The variety pairs with the 1798 Pointed 9, 5 Vertical Lines as the matched Pointed 9 reverse-line pair, and the Knob 9 varieties form the complementary date-punch group. 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. Specialist Draped Bust Dollar collectors typically target the complete BB die-marriage run by year, with the matched 1795 Centered Bust / Off-Center Bust pair and the 1798 Small Eagle / Heraldic Eagle transition forming key milestones within the broader set assembly project. For the 1798 date-punch and die-line variety context, see the Draped Bust Dollar series history.