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HBCC #6155 – 1879 Flowing Hair Stella – Obverse HBCC #6155 – 1879 Flowing Hair Stella – Reverse
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1879 Flowing Hair Stella

HBCC#:
6155
Breen#:
n/a
BD#:
n/a
Judd#:
1635
Pollock#:
1832

This Stella begins a display of all five designs, including the quintuple stella, dated 1879 and 1880. HBCC-6155 through 6159 should be viewed together and in order. Struck in gold, this is the single most “common” stella for possibly as many as 100 examples are known. The obverse features Charles Barber’s Flowing Hair design with a common reverse to all four stellas. This denomination was proposed by John A. Kasson, United States minister to Austria. He felt such a United States four-dollar denomination gold coin would facilitate trade and exchange, since it closely resembled several European coinage systems.

Provenance:
Purchased from Rowe and Brownlee on November 2, 1970.
Obverse:
Head of Liberty to left with flowing hair behind, wearing coronet inscribed LIBERTY, legends around read *6*G*.3*S*.7*C*7*G*R*A*M*S* with date below.
Reverse:
A five-pointed star at center inscribed ONE / STELLA / 400 / CENTS, two circular legends around, closest contains motto DEO EST GLORIA below and E PLURIBUS UNUM above, outer legend reads UNITED STATES OF AMERICA above and FOUR DOL. below.
Commentary:
"Was this bought by R & B at Glendining? IF SO, get Lot#!!!" {A little investigation here!}