1822 25C B-1, R.2, MS67 PCGS....

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Sold on Jun 4, 2015 for:

$164,500.00 Bid Source: Live: Phone bidder

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1822 Capped Bust Quarter, B-1, MS67
Single-Finest Certified
Recently Rediscovered Example

1822 25C B-1, R.2, MS67 PCGS. A small mintage of 64,080 Capped Bust quarters was accomplished in 1822, with just two die varieties known for the date. This coin represents the more available B-1 variety, easily recognized by the Square Base 2 in the denomination. The scarce B-2 variety displays a blundered 25/5/50 denomination, and employs a Curl Base 2 numeral punch. A single obverse die was used to strike the entire production run and all coins seen were struck from perfect dies.

The Capped Bust quarters were first studied and attributed by die varieties in the 1870s, by Captain John W. Haseltine and John Colvin Randall. In his famous Type Table catalog from November 1881, Haseltine described the 1822 B-1 quarter in lot 1330 as:

"1822; No. 1; upper left star points to the junction of the upper curl with the band on the forehead; rev., P and I in 'Pluribus' are slightly to the left of being under the centres of S and second T in 'States' very fine; scarce."

The lot realized $3.40, a strong price for the time. More recent sales include the spectacular MS64 ★ NGC example from the "Colonel" Green-Eric P. Newman Collections (Heritage, 11/2013), lot 33168, which realized $25,850. That coin was billed as the finest known business-strike 1822 B-1 quarter at the time, but this piece easily eclipses it.

The present coin has been off-the-market for decades and is not included in any recent Condition Census. It is the single-finest certified example at either of the leading grading services, with no serious challenger. We believe it is the Anderson Dupont example, last sold in lot 1796 of that Stack's sale in November of 1954, but the low-quality of the image in that appearance makes plate matching problematic. Like most examples seen, this coin shows just a touch of softness on some stars and the eagle's claw, but the eagle's feathers and Liberty's hair and drapery are boldly rendered. The impeccably preserved surfaces radiate vibrant mint luster, under spectacular shades of gold, lavender, and silver-gray toning. Eye appeal is terrific. This coin is a Registry Set essential. Population: 1 in 67, 0 finer (4/15).

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 23RN, Variety PCGS# 38969, Base PCGS# 5332)

Weight: 6.74 grams

Metal: 89.24% Silver, 10.76% Copper

View Certification Details from PCGS