1799 99 over 98, 13 Reverse Stars

The 1799 99 over 98, 13 Reverse Stars Draped Bust Dollar is a documented overdate variety where the 1799 obverse die was punched over an earlier 1798 die, with remnants of the underlying 98 visible beneath the 99 in the date, paired with a Heraldic Eagle reverse showing 13 stars above the eagle (rather than the matched 15 Reverse Stars variant). The 1799 99 over 98 overdate is one of the famous early American overdate varieties and belongs to the broader 1799 production sequence within the combined 423,515-piece annual mintage. Die marriages are catalogued by the Bowers-Borckardt (BB) attribution system.

Authentication of an 1799 99 over 98 claim requires careful examination of the date numerals under five to ten power magnification to confirm the underlying 98 remnants visible beneath the 99 final date. PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC apply rigorous standards for overdate attribution, with pedigree documentation accompanying confirmed examples. Most surviving 1799 99 over 98 examples grade VG to VF from heavy circulation in the early 1800s, with populations clustering at F and VF. Mint State examples are genuinely rare. The 13 Reverse Stars sub-variety distinguishes specific BB die marriages from the 15 Reverse Stars counterpart.

The 1799 99 over 98, 13 Reverse Stars is a popular series Variety pickup and one of the most-collected early American overdate varieties. Pricing trades at substantial premiums above the standard 1799 baseline at every grade, with the gap widening sharply at VF and above. The 1799 99 over 98, 13 Reverse Stars pairs with the 1799 99 over 98, 15 Reverse Stars as the matched overdate pair documenting the two reverse-star configurations. Authentication concerns center on cleaning, polishing, edge damage, and the prevalence of overdate misattribution; certified slabs from PCGS or NGC with BB die-marriage attribution noted on the holder are essential at any meaningful price level. For the 1799 overdate context and the broader BB attribution system, see the Draped Bust Dollar series history.