1831 25C Small Letters, B-3, R.5, MS66 PCGS....

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1831 B-3 Bust Quarter, MS66
Scarce Variety
The Sole Finest Known

1831 25C Small Letters, B-3, R.5, MS66 PCGS. Tompkins Die State 1/1. The second Chief Engraver of the Mint, William Kneass, chose to revise the quarter by giving it a thicker planchet, a new border, and a new portrait. The new dies went through extensive usage, and four obverse and five reverse dies were used throughout the year. The B-3 is the second scarcest of the 1831 quarter varieties, only superseded by the B-7 variety, and it is the rarest of the Small Letters die marriages. Moreover, the vast majority of known examples are in circulated grades, with the top pieces reported by the Rea, et al and Tompkins Condition Censuses consisting of AU coins with a tooled Unc Details piece as finest. Tompkins also lists an MS62 coin that was unconfirmed at the time of his writing. More recently, PCGS has attributed a lone MS65 example as B-3, and the current MS66 PCGS coin also represents the B-3 die pair. This coin is likely the finest known B-3 1831 Capped Bust quarter.

The example shows attractive frosty sterling-silver luster with some striated golden toning along the devices and lightly reflective fields. The coin is free from any notable abrasions that overly diminish the eye appeal. This is our first offering of a B-3 coin at Premium Gem and it is a pivotal Registry coin. PCGS Population (all varieties): 12 in 66 (2 in 66+), 0 finer (3/26).

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 23RW, Variety PCGS# 38982, Base PCGS# 5348, Greysheet# 212956)

Weight: 6.74 grams

Metal: Silver

View Certification Details from PCGS