The Early Quarter Dollars of the United States

No. 3

Obverse: Date wide, equally spaced, small 9, not centered under curl; lower left star points to between first and second fold in drapery; upper right star not close to cap.

Reverse: In the value, 25 C., 2 has a curved base; 5 is double engraved; colon after C.

Obverse die cracked from right edge to hear, through two lower points of third from lower star; later pieces show a second crack, from bottom edge between 1 and 8, touching top of 1 and extending up over drapery and bosom of bust. Reverse die perfect.

This is the most common variety.

Curl begins over left side of small 9.
Colon after repunched 25 C; with curved base 2 as in 1818.
Browning-3; Clapp-1; Duphorne-33; included in Breen-3897; Haseltine-1.
Rarity-1.
This variety comprises the majority of surviving 1819s.
Die States:
I. Perfect dies.
II. Crack, rim through 11th star to hair.
III. Crack, rim between 81 to top of second 1, drapery, bosom.
IV. Crack, rim through 5 to eagles. ANS, Uncirculated; Mass. Historical Society; Strauss, NN 53:714; NN 57:603; G:587; Ruby I:1139; 1982 ANA:2128-9; others.

Additional crack claimed in WGC:66, from rim to point of seventh star, has not been seen.

The Proof claimed in Allenburger:743 reappeared in the T. James Clarke Collection, thence NN 47:1567; it was a business strike. EPC.

Uncirculateds are not necessarily in order of quality.

1. Norweb:1529. Prooflike. Early State II, the crack faint.
2. J.H. South:430. State I.
3. J.H. South:432, 434. State II both.
4. Boyd, Boyd WGC:65. State III.
5. MHS. State IV.
6. Philip G. Straus, NN 53:714. State IV.
7. NN 57:703. State IV.
8. Wolfson:780.
9. Rawls:826.
10. Speir Estate sale:11.
11. Scanlon:952.
12. Austin:554, Reed Hawn:269, 1981 ANA:1924.
13. "Spring":518
14. Allenburger:743 (as "Proof"), T. James Clarke, NN 47:1567.
15. ANS. AU+. State IV.

Numerical Condition Census (RWM, Sr. [circa 1992]): 64, 64, 63, 63, 63, 63.

No. 4

Obverse: Date medium, not equally spaced, small 9, not centered under curl; lower left star points to between first and second fold in drapery; upper right star is close to cap.

Reverse: The same as [Browning] 3.

Obverse die cracked through lower part of date four lower stars at right; later pieces show dies cracked through upper part of date, both cracks so heavy as to almost blot out the date, and may account for the scarcity of this coin. Reverse die perfect.

A very rare variety.

Curl begins above center of small 9; irregular close date; eighth star close to cap.
Colon after repunched 25 C; with curve based 2 as in 1819.
Browning-4; Clapp-4; Duphorne-34; Breen-3898 ("Irregular Date"); Haseltine-4.
Rarity-6. First variety struck, and rarest variety of the year.

Die States:
I. Perfect. Ex. Rare.
II. Crack develops through base of date, stars 13 through 10, at first faint. Very rare when crack is faint; less so when it is plain.
III. This crack extends to ninth star. Rare.
IV. Crack extends to eighth star, and faintly in the field above cap.
V. Another crack through upper part of date. Both cracks become very heavy, obscuring date.

Dies usually misaligned (rotated) about 45 degrees.

Usually found in low grades, cherrypicked by collectors noticing the die breaks of States IV and V.

1. Stack's 11/90. AU+.
2. JRCS 003. EF+.
3. JCRS 012, About EF. Possibly Kern:1402, "EF," and/or WGC:68, "VF," and/or Bergen:39.
4. Jules Reiver. Nearly EF. Same comment.
5. JRCS 002. Nearly EF. Same comment.
6. T. James Clarke, NN 47:1568. Fine.
7. Philip G. Strauss Estate:1701.
8. Ruby I:1138. Fine, stratched.

Numerical Condition Census (RWM, Sr. [circa 1992]): 58, 45, 35, 30, 30, 30.