1926-D 25C MS66 Full Head PCGS. CAC....

Click the image to load the highest resolution version.

Sold on Jun 23, 2014 for:

$64,625.00 Bid Source: HA.com/Live bidder

Get one of these:

Share this lot

Track Item Printable Auction Results

Sell One of These

Description

Auction Info

Guides & Info

Description

1926-D Quarter, MS66 Full Head
Classic Strike Rarity
Sole CAC Example in This Grade

1926-D 25C MS66 Full Head PCGS. CAC. Incredibly bold definition appears on Liberty's head and torso, the chain mail, and the leading edge of the eagle's right wing -- areas that are typically soft or even flat. Rivets 3 and 4 on the shield are not well-defined, nor are the bottom two obverse stars or the right-hand reverse stars, but the overall sharpness is nonetheless remarkable for the issue. The frosty, beautifully preserved surfaces are nearly brilliant, while a crescent of olive-gold accents the left obverse border.

Population Data (5/14): PCGS has awarded a Full Head designation to just 11 examples in MS66 with one numerically finer. This is the sole MS66 Full Head with the CAC green approval sticker. NGC has seen two MS66 Full Head and none finer.

Heritage Commentary: When one thinks of key dates in the Standing Liberty quarter series, the usual candidates are such low-mintage issues as the 1916, 1921, and 1923-S. Cross over into the Full Head category, though, and dates typically considered "common" suddenly become strong contenders. The 1926-D is perhaps the greatest illustration of this phenomenon. Bowers suggests more bank-wrapped rolls of this date were saved than of any other, but the strike is almost always weak, and Liberty's head is often so flat as to appear incuse. J.H. Cline writes in Standing Liberty Quarters, fourth edition:

"The ratio of Full Heads versus flat heads is nearly 150 to 1 ... . An original roll [of 1926-D quarters] surfaced in the Midwest in 1984 and not a single piece was a Full Head."

The certified population ratio substantiates that statement, as PCGS and NGC combined have certified more than 5,400 non-Full Head 1926-D quarters, but only 125 Full Head pieces (5/14). Furthermore, Cline suggests the certified Full Head population is inflated by resubmissions, and that as many as half of the coins reflected in the published figure may not actually exist. Cline writes in the September 11, 1998 Coin Dealer Newsletter:

"... the 1926-D has the most Uncirculated pieces, but one of the lowest in number of Full Heads. The 1926-D in Full Head sells for as much as 70 times the price of non Full Head 1926-D's. This is true of the 1926-D's all the way down to XF/AU provided that the head is indeed sharp and distinct."

The bold strike and excellent preservation of this Premium Gem put it firmly in a remarkably small group of sought-after, high-end Full Head survivors, fit for the finest Registry Set or personal collection.

Provenance: Central States Signature (Heritage, 5/2007), lot 2116.(Registry values: N7079)

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 243S, PCGS# 5757, Greysheet# 5592)

Weight: 6.25 grams

Metal: 90% Silver, 10% Copper

View Certification Details from PCGS