1897 $2 1/2 PR68 Deep Cameo PCGS. CAC. JD-1, High R.4....

Description

1897 Quarter Eagle, PR68 Deep Cameo
Essentially Unimprovable Quality
Tied for Finest at PCGS and CAC

1897 $2 1/2 PR68 Deep Cameo PCGS. CAC. JD-1, High R.4. Ex: Simpson. John Dannreuther, the renowned proof gold expert and author of United States Proof Coins, Volume IV: Gold (2018), has called the period between 1895 and 1899 "the pinnacle of [the] Mint's Proof coinage." It was in 1894 or shortly thereafter that Philadelphia Mint officials introduced a hydraulic press in the proof production process, and the result was a series of years for which all denominations tend to come with intense frost, deep field reflectivity, and eye-catching cameo contrast. The 1897 quarter eagle is no exception.

Two and a half dollar output rose to 27,768 circulation strikes and 136 proofs in 1897. The latter were struck from a single set of dies. Dannreuther writes that about 70 or 80 of them are believed to survive in all grades, while Dave Bowers notes in A Guide Book of Quarter Eagle Gold Coins that 55 to 70 pieces exist: "This is a low percentage survival rate. Typical grades are PF-60 to PF-63. Finer specimens are in the minority." The PCGS Population Report, which is no doubt inflated by resubmissions, shows 79 grading events in all. Thirty of them are in Deep Cameo and evenly spread out from PR61 to PR68. This is one of three submissions in that top grade, though the actually number of finest-certified Superb Gems may be even smaller.

Liberty's portrait, the eagle, and the peripheral design elements around each side display a thick layer of mint frost and stand out markedly against almost depthless mirrors. Add to that the utter lack of contact and the richness of the yellow-gold color and the result is a proof of essentially unimprovable quality. Population: 3 in 68 Deep Cameo, 0 finer. CAC: 2 in 68, 0 finer (6/22).(Registry values: P2)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 288L, PCGS# 97923, Greysheet# 8572)

Weight: 4.18 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper

Note for clients in the European Union: This lot is considered by the European Union to be “investment gold”. We believe that it meets the criteria established in Article 344(1), point (2) of Council Directive 2006/112/EC and thus should be exempt from import VAT regardless of the selling price. Any questions or concerns about VAT should be addressed to your accountant or local tax authority.

View all of [Important Selections from The Bob R. Simpson Collection, Part IX ]

View Certification Details from PCGS