1831 25C Small Letters, B-4, R.1, MS66 PCGS. CAC....

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1831 B-4 Small Letters Quarter, MS66
Splendidly Toned Example

1831 25C Small Letters, B-4, R.1, MS66 PCGS. CAC. Ex: Bender Collection. The most available variety of the four 1831 Small Letters die pairings. On the obverse, star 7 points to a lower curl, and the left edge of a curl aligns with the right side of the last 1 in the date. On the reverse the denomination is high and the eagle has a tongue.

This splendid MS66 PCGS example remains in a tie for the top spot for the B-4 variety in the Rea-Koenings-Haroutunian Condition Census as published in Early Quarter Dollars, by Rea, Peterson, Karoleff, and Kovach. The year 1831 saw the introduction of the smaller-diameter Bust quarters, and Mint engraver William Kneass tinkered with two different lettering styles on the reverse to produce the best strike results. Some collectors have difficulty spotting the difference between the Large Letters and Small Letters dies at a glance. We have found that rather than merely looking at letter sizes, it is easier to look at the spaces between the words in the reverse legend. The Large Letters devices appear to show a single letter space between words, while the Small Letters seem to show two letter spaces between words.

Beautiful, beaming luster complements pristine surfaces that display pastel mint-green, aqua, and lavender-pink tones front and back, a Premium Gem of this date with stunning eye appeal. The strike is quite sharp, not uncommon for the variety.
Ex: The Craig M. Morgan, M.D. Collection (Bowers and Merena, 11/1998), lot 110; Eugene H. Gardner Collection (Heritage, 6/2014), lot 30352; The Bender Family Collection / FUN Signature (Heritage, 1/2023), lot 3685.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 23RW, Variety PCGS# 38983, Base PCGS# 5348, Greysheet# 212957)

Weight: 6.74 grams

Metal: 89.24% Silver, 10.76% Copper

View Certification Details from PCGS