1868-S 25C FR2 认证号49349784, PCGS号5473

Purchased raw from Brian Greer in mid January 2024 and certified.... This particular 1868-S has an extremely weak "S" mintmark which was noted by Brian when I bought the coin from him. The mintmark is so weak that PCGS initially checked the coin in as a Philadelphia Mint coin! I requested that they take a second look at the coin as it was in fact an "S" mint.... They looked at the coin again and agreed... Giving PCGS a break as the mintmark is VERY hard to view, and even with a loop you have to search for it!! Larry Briggs book does not mention anything about this fact; if you are reading this and have come across this date/Mint with an extremely weak "S", please leave a comment... Thanks

Ron Guth

The relatively large mintage for the 1868-S Quarter Dollar belies its true rarity.  In low grades, this date can be found rather inexpensively, but once the grade reaches Extremely Fine, the price begins to soar.  In Mint State, this date is very scarce and valuable.  A direct comparison with the lower-mintage 1868-P illustrates two principles: 1) collectors had difficulty obtaining coins from San Francisco, or 2) they were satisfied enough with the coins they obtained from Philadelphia.  In 1868, collecting by date and mintmark combinations was virtually unknown, so there was little demand for coins from the branch mints.  However, at least one collector saved an original example, as the PCGS Population Report shows a single MS67.  This coin has not yet appeared at public auction, so we have no clear indication of what it might be worth, but it would be substantial.