1799 Irregular Date, 13 Stars

The 1799 Irregular Date, 13 Stars Draped Bust Dollar is a documented variety where the 1799 date shows unusual spacing or alignment of the digits (the "Irregular Date" attribution), paired with a Heraldic Eagle reverse showing 13 stars above the eagle. The 1799 Irregular Date belongs to the broader 1799 production sequence and is one of the documented date-punch varieties within the combined 423,515-piece annual mintage. The 1799 Irregular Date, 13 Stars carries the standard Heraldic Eagle reverse and the Robert Scot engraving of the Gilbert Stuart obverse portrait.

Strike quality on the 1799 Irregular Date, 13 Stars varies across the specific die-marriage production. Most surviving examples grade VG to VF from heavy circulation in the 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 Irregular Date variety representing specific BB die marriages distinguished by date-punch alignment characteristics under magnification.

The 1799 Irregular Date, 13 Stars is a popular variety pickup for collectors documenting the 1799 date-punch variations and trades at meaningful premiums above the standard 1799 baseline at every grade. The variety pairs with the 1799 Irregular Date, 15 Stars as the matched Irregular Date reverse-star pair, and with the broader 1799 99 over 98 overdate and 8x5 Stars varieties as the 1799 specialist-variety set. 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. The Bowers-Borckardt attribution system and the Cherrypickers Guide for Die Varieties of U.S. Coins together provide the standard reference framework for Draped Bust Dollar variety attribution, with specialist demand supporting strong premiums above the base type-set pricing tier. For the 1799 date-punch variety context, see the Draped Bust Dollar series history.