PCGS to Display $10 Million 1794 Dollar at 2017 FUN

In January, the Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) will display the world’s most valuable coin ever sold at auction, the 1794 Flowing Hair dollar.

The rarity, graded PCGS SP66 and believed by many experts to be the first silver dollar struck by the United States, will be on exhibit January 5 to 7, 2017 at the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) convention in Fort Lauderdale.

The silver dollar will make its first public appearance in the U.S. since it was purchased almost four years ago when it fetched a record-setting $10 million by Spokane business executive Bruce Morelan.

"I have loved that coin ever since I first saw an image of it in the late 1990s. The image has just stuck in my head ever since," said Morelan, who has been collecting coins since his grandmother gave him three old coins including a U.S. Trade Dollar when he was six years old. "It’s absolutely a dream come true to own this coin!"

In addition to the exceptional strike as an apparent presentation piece and its pristine state of preservation, it is the only known 1794 U.S. Dollar with a silver plug. The plug was inserted to obtain the correct planchet weight when the coin was struck on a hand-turned screw press at the Philadelphia Mint on Oct.15, 1794. A combined 1,758 were issued, with only 130 of those believed to survive today.

PCGS Co-Founder and Collectors Universe President David Hall recalled the first time he saw the coin in person a decade ago:

"It made my heart thump. It’s a gorgeous, historical treasure. The strike is so sharp it leads me to believe it is the very first impression of the die."

PCGS will also display Mr. Morelan’s entire 12-coin PCGS Set Registry© collection of U.S. Flowing Hair and Draped Bust Dollars. The coins include:

• 1794 Flowing Hair, graded PCGS SP66, ex. Neil, Carter, Contursi, Cardinal Collection, finest known
• 1795 Flowing Hair, PCGS MS64+
• 1795 Draped Bust, PCGS MS66, ex Eliasberg, finest known
• 1796 Draped Bust, PCGS MS65, finest known
• 1797 Draped Bust, PCGS MS64, ex. Green and Newman
• 1798 Draped Bust, Small Eagle, PCGS MS63, ex. Cleneay, Green and Newman, finest known
• 1798 Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle, PCGS MS65, ex. Stellar, finest known
• 1799 Draped Bust, PCGS MS66, ex. Boston
• 1800 Draped Bust, PCGS MS65+, ex. Fairfield, finest known
• 1801 Draped Bust, PCGS MS65, finest known
• 1802/1 Draped Bust, PCGS MS64, ex. Green and Newman, finest known
• 1803 Draped Bust,  PCGS MS65, ex. Green and Newman, finest known

The Bruce Morelan Collection of early dollars may be viewed online at PCGS.com/basicearlydollars.