1825/4/2 25C B-1 MS(PCGS#38974)
1825/4/2 25C B-1 MS (PCGS#38974)
Summer 2025 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins
- 拍卖行
- Stack's Bowers
- 批号
- 4286
- 等级
- XF45
- 价格
- 16,281
- 详细说明
- Tompkins Die Stage 1/1, Rea et al. Die State P. Attractive and highly appealing Choice EF quality for this rare, conditionally challenged Browning number. Richly original surfaces are dressed in blended steel gray and charcoal-olive patina with iridescent undertones of cobalt blue and pale pinkish-gold. Well balanced detail to both sides, most features are boldly to sharply rendered, and light wear is largely confined to the high points. No sizeable marks are seen on surfaces that present as pleasing smooth during in-hand viewing.<p>After a limited delivery of 16,000 coins on December 31, 1823 (the entire mintage for the 1824/2, see above, preceding lot), the Mint delivered no more quarter dollars until December of 1825. The four warrants delivered that month amounted to 168,000 coins, the generally accepted mintage for the 1825-dated issue. With no more coins delivered for circulation until December 1827, it is clear that contemporary bullion depositors still sought this denomination in limited numbers compared to others, especially the half dollar - this situation of limited commercial demand had prevailed since the first quarter dollars were delivered in 1796.<p>The three die marriages of the 1825-dated issue employ two obverse and three reverse dies, both of the former 1825/4/2 overdates that our consignor believes were initially prepared by Christian Gobrecht late in 1823, at which time he also prepared the obverse die used for the 1824/2 issue. When the former were not needed for coinage in 1824, both dies were overdated to 1825/4/2 by William Kneass, the new chief engraver, for employment in the deliveries of December 1825. The obverse die of the 1825/4/2 Browning-1 appears only in this pairing, but its reverse is shared with the 1823/2 B-1 rarity, the key date 1824/2 B-1, and the 1828 B-2.<p>The 1825/4/2 B-1 is rare and difficult to acquire in all grades. Only two Mint State coins are known: the Eliasberg-Gardner specimen that appeared as PCGS/CAC MS-63 in Heritage's October 2014 sale of the latter collection; and the Eric P. Newman specimen sold as NGC/CAC MS-64 * in the same firm's November 2013 Newman II Sale and now certified MS-64 by PCGS and CAC. The balance of the Condition Census is populated by AU coins, then followed by a handful of nice EFs, as here. Offerings for this variety are usually few and far between, especially at this desirable grade level, and we urge interested parties to prepare an aggressive bidding strategy.<p><strong>Steve M. Tompkins Commentary:</strong> I almost hate to say that it is my fault that there is so much confusion with the 1825 overdate Capped Bust quarters. Until my book was published, the B-1 was simply known as 1825/2, the B-2 as the 1825/3, and the B-3 as the 1825/4. However, research revealed that all three were actually 1825/4/2 struck with two different dies that showed different parts of the underdigits depending on die stage. Therefore, the rarer B-1 got mixed together with the more common B-2 and B-3 in the price guides for a few years. The B-1 is more than twice as rare as the B-3, and three times rarer than the B-2. Bid accordingly!