During 1798, the silver dollar underwent another design change, this time to present the image of the United States as a stronger, more battle-ready nation.  With the Draped Bust Large Eagle Dollar type, the obverse continues with the same image of Lady Liberty; however, the reverse is greatly re-designed to follow the Great Seal of the United States.

Production of Draped Bust dollars dated 1798 with the new "large" or "heraldic" eagle reverse represented a significant increase in mintage from prior years.  Accordingly, more dies were needed to carry out production, and the total mintage ultimately employed 17 different obverse dies and 19 different reverse dies, creating 31 different die varieties and multiple types.  These are categorized by the font used for the number "9" in the date, the number or arrows on the reverse, and by the number of lines in the stripes of the reverse shield.

The earliest obverse dies display a date featuring a "9" with a rounded knob at the base, and the earliest reverse dies depicted a shield with 5 vertical lines in each of the 6 major vertical stripes in the shield.  Specimens of these "5 Lines" types are very scarce, incredibly so in higher grades.

Pictured is the Cardinal specimen of the BB-96 variety.  Graded MS-61, it is the second finest known of the entire 5 Lines type (exceeded only by the Eliasberg NGC-MS63 specimen).  Quite well struck throughout, the coin features delicate golden toning and lustrous satiny surfaces.