The Early Quarter Dollars of the United States

No. 4

Obverse: Date wide, not equally spaced, 8 is centered under curl; stars not close to border; lower left star points to between first and second fold in drapery; upper right star nearer cap than in [Browning] 1, 2 and 3.

Reverse: Ends of scroll: left under upright of D at extreme right; right under foot of A slightly at left of center. In scroll: I under T at right; left of S about in line with extreme right of S above. 

Dies perfect in early impressions; obverse cracked in later pieces as follows:

a) From lower edge up to hair between 8 and lower right star.
b) A second crack from top edge to front part of cap. Crossing band between L and I, and extending down over face and neck to drapery.

This variety is rarer than Nos.1 and 3, about the same as No. 1. The perfect die and (b), are more difficult to obtain than (a), as shown on Plate III.

Final S above U and part of S of motto.

Browning-4; not in Clapp; Duphorne-24; included in Breen-3896; not in Haseltine.

Rarity-2.

Die States: I. Perfect. Rare. WGC:46, Edgar Levy:9, 1976 ANA:948.
II. Crack, rim to hair about 5:00. Col. Green, Plate III; J.H. South:410; Reed Hawn:265 (illustrated above Lot 266).,
III. Rust pits develop in field below ED S. 1975 ANA:354, Brown Library:194; others.
IV. Heavy clash marks. Rare. G:585, EF; Ruby I:1137, VG.
V. Dies reground to remove clash marks. Crack, top rim to cap, through scroll between LI, eventually through face and neck to drapery; this crack becomes progressively heavier. Boyd, WGC:48, Kern:1398; ANS; Philip G. Straus Estate (pvt. sale); T. James Clarke, NN 47:1565; 1975 ANA:355 (dipped); Philip More:1208, Paul D. Williams:374; others.
VI. Crack, rim to curve of D. Very rare; but compare to VII.
VII. Rim break above part of M and space to left. Very rare. Westchester:705; Austin:553, obverse prooflike.

Sometimes with dies slightly misaligned (states V and later): border narrow at top obverse, reverse well centered.

1. Boyd, WGC:46, Edgar Levy:9, 1976 ANA:948. State I.
2. J.H. South:410. State II.
3. Reed Hawn:265 (illustrated above Lot 266). State I.
4. Browning, Col. Green. Browning plate coin. State II.
5. 1975 ANA:354. State III.
6. Brown Library:194. State III.
7. Boyd, WGC:48, Kern:398. State V.
8. ANS. State V.
9. Philip G. Straus Estate (private sale, before 1959) State. V.
10. T. James Clarke, NN
11. 1975 ANA:355. Dipped. State V.
12. Philip More:1208. State V.
13. Paul D. Williams:374. State VII.
14. Austin:553. Obverse prooflike. State VII.
15. "Westchester": 705. State VII.

Numerical Condition Census (RWM, Sr. [circa 1992]): 66, 63, 60, 60, 60, 60.

No. 5

Obverse: Date wide, not equally spaced, 8 is not quite centered under curl; stars close to border; lower left star points to second fold in drapery; next to upper right star has three points next to border double engraved.

Reverse: The same as [Browning] 4

Dies perfect. A rare variety.

Ninth star repunched.
Final S above U and part of S in motto.
Browning-5; not in Clapp; Duphorne-25; included in Breen-3896; not in Haseltine.
Rarity-4.
Die States: Not seen perfect despite Browning's description.
Reverse has crack from rim to curve of D as in the last B-4's, now extending through D into scroll a little past left edge. The rim break above space between AM is a little plainer; it shows on Plate III, though the photographic quality does not allow certainty as to location of the crack.
Usually in low grades. The following are the best ones I have seen or heard of.

1. J.H. South:415, Uncirculated, weak at upper left reverse border.
2. J.H. South:419 as "B-8a." Ex. Fine.
3. WGC:49, EF or thereabouts.
4. Plate III, ex Browning, Col. Green. Same as last?
5. 1977 ANA, L.S.M., 1982 ANA:489. Better than VF, cleaned.
6. Bergen:30. VF, cleaned.
7. Ivy Phoenix Sale:705 as EF-40; VF cleaned.
8. Philip G. Straus Estate (5/59):1698. VF.
9. Leon Goodman:884, "F-15, even wear,"
10. Winter Collection, cherry-picked at 1981 ANA, F-12.
11. Seller:2237 (B&R 3/28/80). About Fine.
12. Bergen:113. About Fine.
13. Bergen:111. Good to VG.

Numerical Condition Census (RWM, Sr.): 62, 60, 55, 55, 50, 40.