1818 25C MS(PCGS#5322)

Summer 2025 Global Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

4253

等级

MS61

价格

25,707

详细说明

Tompkins Die Stage 1/1, Rea et al. Die State P. A pleasingly toned example with iridescent champagne-apricot highlights to a base of light silver gray. Luster is muted to help explain the MS-61 grade from NGC, but the frosty finish is still appreciable as the surfaces rotate under a light, and there are no significant marks. Expertly centered in strike with sharp to full detail throughout the design.<p>This is a relatively obtainable variety of the issue, the 1818 Browning-8 representing the first of three uses of the obverse die, which also appears in the year's B-9 and B-10 pairings. The reverse is unique to the 1818 B-8 attribution and it is readily identifiable by the presence of a fourth claw on the eagle's right talon. The only reverse die in the Capped Bust quarter series with this feature, the 1818 B-8 is affectionately known as the "Extra Claw" variety. While it is fairly easy to obtain in all the popular collector grades, the earliest die stage of this variety with neither clashing nor cracks, as here, is the scarcest; most examples are clashed at Liberty's ear and cracked on the reverse at the lowest pair of olive leaves (see the following lots). Not included in either the 2008 Tompkins or 2010 Rea et al. listings, this NGC MS-61 qualifies as Condition Census for the 1818 B-8 dies.<p><strong>Steve M. Tompkins Commentary:</strong> As stated above, the 1818 B-8 is easily found. However, the earliest die stage with no clashing is challenging in higher grades. Normally I try to stay within the various AU grades for the uppermost reaches of my collection, but when this beauty showed up at auction I couldn't resist.