The Early Quarter Dollars of the United States

Quarter Dollars of 1836

Total number of pieces coined 472,000. Four varieties are known.

No. 1

Obverse: 6 in date small and under curl, left side even with left of curl; upper left star points to between the two curls; lower left most distant from bust; upper and lower right both near and equally distant from cap and hair.

Reverse: The same as 1835 [Browning] 8.

Obverse die cracked from lower edge at right of 6, up through curl and over bust to hair under I in LIBERTY. The reverse is cracked from top edge through STATES (except last S) to D in UNITED, as in 1835.

This appears to be one of the most common varieties.

Emission sequence: B-1, 1835 B-8, 1836 B-2, 4, 3.
Eighth star closest to cap.
Missing wing feathers at right; crack, D STATE to rim.
B-1; C-3; D-80; included in E-3931; H-.
Rarity-1, high. Possibly Rarity-2.
Die states: I. Perfect dies. Only one seen; evidently struck before at least some 1835 B-8's.
II. Cracked as Browning describes. Obverse crack varies from faint (Eliasberg, others) to heavy. Obverse crack varies from faint to heavy.
III. Crack of State II extends to forelock, seventh star and border.
IV. Crack, rim to 13th star and second curl from bottom.
V. Crack, rim between first two stars to chin.
VI. Crack, rim left of eighth star to cap, almost to IB. Plate VII, probably discovered too late for Browning to change text.
Proofs: That claimed in Neil:907 was withdrawn, and no other has been reported.
Common in all grades up to Extremely Fine; in Mint State very rare.

1. J.A. Stacks:42, late die state.
2. Col. Green, Plate VII.
3. Rothert:793, Bowers & Ruddy RCR (Spring 1975)

Numerical Condition Census (RWM, Sr. [circa 1992]): 60, 55, 55, 45, 40, 40.

No. 2

Obverse: 6 in date small and practically not under curl, right side about even with left of curl; upper left star points to between the two curls, but slightly higher than in [Browning] 1; lower left and upper right are most distant from bust with spaces about equal; two points of lower right close to hair, lower point nearer than upper.

Reverse: The value, 25 C., lower than in No. 1, with 5 and C further apart; end of olive branch over center of C; upper arrowhead appears longer than the two below. The eagle has no tongue.

Obverse in later pieces is cracked in three places: around at right as mentioned above, but longer, extending around over top of cap, with the lower end extending to edge midway between 6 and lower right star; second crack extend from left edge midway between lower left star and 1 in date, up over bust hair under B in LIBERTY and over cap to right edge above upper right star; third crack extends from right edge below lower right star, over bust to lower front part of neck, where it joins the second crack. The reverse here is cracked in two places; diagonally across from top to bottom, through F in OF, over eagle and the two lower olive leaves; second crack extends from left edge to eagle's wing through high part of U in UNITED.

A scarce variety, have never found it sharp, uncirculated.

Curl begins above right edge of 6 (hold 6 upright).

Top arrowhead longest; die scratch extends it almost to border.

Browning-2; Clapp-1; Duphorne-82; included in Breen-3931; Haseltine-1.

High Rarity-3, possibly Rarity-4.

Die States:
I. Crack cap to eighth to 12th stars and field.
II. Crack of State I extended over top of cap and down to rim midway between 6 and last star; another, from rim midway between 1 and first star through bust to hair below B, turning right through R and cap to rim above eighth star; a third from rim below 13th star through hair and bust, joining second crack at lower neck. Reverse perfect. Ruby I:1166.

III. Obverse as II; reverse cracked as Browning describes.

Proofs:

1. Mint Cabinet, No. 799; Smithsonian Institution.
2. Clapp, Eliasberg
3. The Numismatist, June 1950, p. A304, H.? W. Anderson
4. Marvin Taichert. Possibly same as 3?
5. W.L. Carson, LM 2/72:108, Roy Rauch. Badly cleaned. Cf. also Cleneay:1350, which might be the source of Nos. 2, 3 or 4.
6. Brand Estate (?), NN 8/16/54, Norweb:1558. $1,700.

Most business strike specimens seen are low-grade ones cherrypicked. The best ones known to me:

1. Boyd, WGC:131, State II. Uncirculated.
2. Newport:993. State III. AU.
3. Bergen:95. EF.
4. Martin Field:785. State III. AU+. Spot on second star; traces of old cleaning.
5. Boyd, WGC:132. Probably State III. VF.
6. J.H. South:489. VF, prooflike, as "B-1. Without die breaks. Bought as a brilliant Proof."
7. NN 57:622. VF.
8. Col. Green. Plate VII. VF.
9. "Dupont":1812. State III. About VF.

Numerical Condition Census (RWM, Sr.): 63, 60, 60, 55, 50, 45.