The Early Quarter Dollars of the United States

No. 3

Obverse: 5 in date does not touch bust; lower left star and curl spaced twice as far apart as opposite star and drapery; lower left star and curl are further apart than in any other variety; upper left star and bottom of L a trifle further apart than opposite star and top of Y.

Reverse: The same as [Browning] 2.

Obverse die cracked as follows: (a) From left edge across to hair just below lower ribbon and through two points of fourth star; (b) Two additional cracks; from foot of 1 in date to left through field, connecting the two lower stars at left; from bottom edge to bust through 5 in date. The die here shows E in LIBERTY weak; (c) Still later pieces show the three cracks with E scarcely visible. Reverse die perfect.

This appears to be the most common variety and easier to obtain sharp than any other.

5 leans right; broken feet on 1, I and T.

Gap between dentils above E in STATES.

Browning-3; Clapp-3; Duphorne-7; included in Breen-3884; Haseltine-3.

Die States:
I. Perfect.
II. Browning's "A" crack.
III. Browning's "B" and "C", with E progressively weaker.
IV. Heavy clash marks, especially on the reverse
V. Crack through tops of STA; another from rim into upright of first T in STATES. Scarce.

Though common in lower grades, it is apparently prohibitively rare in Mint State.

1. Kern:1387. Unverified.
2. Norweb:1515. AU.
3. "Dupont":1784, Edgar A. West:664 (Stack's 5/25/57) AU.
4. Miles:879, Stack's 9/73:175, Robinson:1226, AU.
5. Lee S; Miller:805. AU.

A curiously double struck example, with parts of RICA and C of value below tail was in 1974 GENA:1321, later Johnson-Meyer:574 (B&R 2/78).

Numerical Condition Census (RWM, Sr. circa 1992):64, 60, 60, 50+, 50+, 50.

No. 4

Obverse: 5 in date does not touch bust; lower left star and curl spaced about four times as far apart as opposite star and drapery, which is very close; upper left star and bottom of L and opposite star and top of Y both close and equally spaced.

Reverse: In the value, 25 C., C is merged into the eagle's tail, extending over first, touching second feather; eagle's tail short and blunt; olive branch has four berries, all other reverses of the type having five; end of olive branch is over C at extreme right; in eagle's wing at right, foot of A touches side of third and is over end of fourth feather, but does not touch it.

Both dies perfect. This is evidently a rare variety for it has been impossible to obtain a piece sharp enough to appear well on the plate. The dies were probably in good condition at the end of the year and a 6 was sunk over 5 in the obverse, and it became the well-known over-date 1806 over 1805.

Very low 1 in date; broken feet on 1, I and T.

Four berries; wing far from D.

This reverse (that of 1806/5) was reused in 1807 and closely resembles 1806 B-8.

Browning-4; Clapp-4; Duphorne-8; Breen-3885 (4 berries); Haseltine-4.

Rarity-4.

Obverse reannealed and overdated (along with the 1805 quarter eagle die and 1805 half dollar Overton-105 obverse) to make 1806.5 dies: this extraordinary procedure reflected a Mint emergency – the Engraver was running out of die steel. Other overdates are regularly from dies not actually hardened for use in a previous year.

Most survivors are in low grades.

1. Norweb:1516. AU+. Apparently the specimen mentioned in NN 54:648 as "Uncirculated."
2. Lee & Schaeffer (Superior 9/88), Heifetz:1458 (Superior 10/89).
3. Private collection in JRCS list, EF.
4. Bergen:8, "AEF."
5. Reiver, nearly EF ("VF-30"). Same as preceding or next?
6. Ruby, Gilhousen:578, Ruby III:500, VF+.
7. Dr. Black, NN 61:331. VF+.
8. Breen, NN 52:500, C. Romano, VF, weak.
9. Robert Bashlow, Jonathan Glogower Consignment, NN 54:648, C. Romano. Fine +.
10, 11, 12, About Fine.
13. Browning, Col. Green, Boyd, WGC:12. VG, scratched in shield. Browning plate coin.
Numerical Condition Census (RWM, Sr.) 64, 64, 64, 60, 55, 55.

"B-5"

Obverse: [same as Browning 1.]

Reverse. New. D touches, as in B-1 (the 1804 die), but stem end is long, curved, with a sharp point ending very close to top of serif of C, left of its right end. Star free of beak; five berries; 2 below 5. Gap in dentils about I of AMERICA.

B-; C-; D-89 (Addendum A); included in E-3884; H-; HB-1.
Discovered by Breen about 1956 (after NEQ).
Rarity-7, low.
1. Bowers and Merena/Rusbar (9/90). VF+.
2. Bergen:9. VF+.
3. JRCS 006. VF.
4. JRCS 012. Fine.
5. Robert W. Miller, Sr. VG+.
6. JRCS 002. VG+.
7. JRCS 010. VG.
8. JRCS 014. AG.
9. ANS. AG.
Numerical Condition Census (RWM, Sr.): 30, 30, 20, 12, 10, 10.