1863 $2.50, DCAM PR(PCGS#97889)
1863 $2.50, DCAM PR (PCGS#97889)
August 2019 ANA U.S. Coins Auction Rosemont, IL
- 拍卖行
- Stack's Bowers
- 批号
- 5285
- 等级
- PR64DCAM
- 价格
- 804,670
- 详细说明
- Legendary Proof-Only 1863 Quarter Eagle From a Mintage of Just 30 Proofs 1863 Liberty Head Quarter Eagle. JD-1, the only known dies. Rarity-6. Proof-64 Deep Cameo (PCGS). CAC. Fantastic Choice Deep Cameo Proof quality for this fabled rarity in the Liberty Head quarter eagle series. The devices are fully struck, as befits the method of manufacture, with razor sharp detail to even the most intricate design elements. They are also possessed of a frosty texture that contrasts markedly with deeply mirrored reflectivity in the fields. Carefully and originally preserved, the smooth-looking surfaces exhibit subtle pale silver highlights to dominant olive-orange patina. A gorgeous coin in all regards, the legendary rarity of this issue is sure to result in strong competition for this offering among advanced gold enthusiasts. By the end of 1861 it was obvious to most Americans both North and South that the outcome of the Civil War was not going to be decided quickly. In the North, banks suspended gold specie payments in December of that year, which resulted in the disappearance of such coins from commercial channels in the East and Midwest. Production at the Philadelphia Mint fell off accordingly, the facility striking just 98,508 quarter eagles for circulation in 1862 as opposed to 1,283,788 coins in 1861. (The 1861 mintage is particularly generous for the era and was achieved to help the North fund the war effort.) Yearly circulation strike mintages at the Philadelphia Mint continued to fall off markedly, and they remained limited until the late 1870s. In 1863, in fact, the Philadelphia Mint did not produce a single circulation strike quarter eagle. Proof production continued apace, however, the facility striking 30 Proofs that year. As a Proof-only issue with a paltry mintage, the 1863 quarter eagle has long been recognized as a leading rarity in the classic U.S. Mint gold series. Most of the coins seem to have been distributed to contemporary collectors, the experts at PCGS CoinFactsestimating that 18 to 22 examples are extant. Jeff Garrett and Ron Guth (Encyclopedia of U.S. Gold Coins: 1795-1933, 2008) take a slightly more conservative view with perhaps 15 to 20 coins extant, including a few specimens that are impaired due to polishing or damage. The National Numismatic Collection in the Smithsonian Institution contains two Proof 1863 quarter eagles, one from the original U.S. Mint cabinet and the other formerly part of the Josiah K. Lilly Collection. That leaves fewer than 20 examples in private hands, a few of which are impaired, and many of which are in tightly held collections. Market appearances for problem free, high quality survivors are understandably few and far between, and we suspect that the significance of the present offering will not be lost on astute collectors. Provenance: From the Maurice Snow Collection. Acquired from Harry J. Forman, August 16, 1984. Earlier from Kreisberg & Cohen's Winsor Collection sale, November 1981, lot 333. PCGS Population: 4; 5 finer in this category (Proof-66 Deep Cameo finest). PCGS# 97889. NGC ID: 287H. Click here for certification details from PCGS.