PCGS PR63
PCGS PR63
- PCGS #:
- 5551
- Designer:
- Robert Ball Hughes/Christian Gobrecht
- Edge:
- Reeded
- Diameter:
- 24.30 millimeters
- Weight:
- 6.20 grams
- Mintage:
- 20
- Mint:
- Philadelphia
- Metal:
- 90% Silver, 10% Copper
- Auction Record:
- $36,425 • PR65 • 11-02-2023 • Legend Rare Coin Auctions
Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More
| Survival Estimate | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 12 |
| 60 or Better | 12 |
| 65 or Better | 4 |
| Numismatic Rarity | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | R-9.5 |
| 60 or Better | R-9.5 |
| 65 or Better | R-9.8 |
| Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 1 / 2 |
| 60 or Better | 1 / 2 |
| 65 or Better | 1 / 2 |
| Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 15 / 54 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 15 / 54 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 10 / 54 TIE |
Condition Census What Is This?
#1 PCGS PR65
As PCGS PR65 #60026329. Heritage Auctions, July 1994, Lot 6520; “The Greensboro Collection, Part III,” Heritage Auctions, April 25, 2013, Lot 4225 – $19,975. As PCGS PR65 35377679. Darkly toned in hues of purple, blue, and red. |
| #1 PCGS PR65 |
|
#3 PCGS PR63
Sun-yellow and blue-green toning on the obverse, with scattered wine-colored spots across the drapery, shield, and Liberty’s chin. The reverse features vivid target toning: orange and gold centers transitioning to blue, green, and violet along the periphery. |
| #3 PCGS PR63 |
| #3 PCGS PR63 |
|
#6 PCGS PR63
(possibly). William H. Woodin. As "Brilliant Proof." "The William H. Woodin Collection," Thomas L. Elder, March 2-4, 1911, Lot 455; (possibly) Waldo S. Newcomer; F.C.C. Boyd; As "Brilliant Proof." "World's Greatest Collection (Boyd)," Abe Kosoff, March 3, 1945, Lot 188 - $25. As PCGS PR63 #84984411. Goldberg Auctioneers, February 19, 2018, Lot 1095 - $8,519; Dell Loy Hansen; "The D.L. Hansen Liberty Seated Quarters Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Coppery-orange centers, with streaks of seafoam and blue toning across the obverse. Seafoam and blue color at the periphery of the obverse. Same toning pattern on the reverse, except cooler colrs reach deeper into the field. Small diagonal contact mark to the left of boulder. Diagonal planchet void above the eagle's left wing (as struck). Evidence supporting the Boyd providence is strong as the catalog mentions the issue at the eagle's left wing. Woodin and Newcomer connection reported by Breen. |
|
#7 PCGS PR62
As "Perfect Gem Brilliant Proof." "The Major Lenox R. Lohr Collection of U.S. Coins," Stack's, October 24, 1956; As "Gem Brilliant Proof." Stack's, January 1997, Lot 545. As PCGS PR62 #06597202. Heritage Auctions, October 28, 2015, Lot 98500 - $8,225. Fiery-orange russet toning throughout the centers of both sides. Electric blue around the periphery. On the obverse, the blue tones reach into the field and cover stars 1 and 2, 5 and 6, and the boulder. Lohr provenance photo-matched. |
|
#8 Proof
Mint Cabinet; The National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. |
The 1855 Liberty Seated Quarter Proof
From 1853 to 1855, the United States Mint placed arrows on either side of the date to signal a weight reduction from 6.68 grams of .900 fine silver to 6.22 grams. While the coin retained its standard diameter, the new weight made it imperceptibly thinner.
Following a record-setting mintage of 15,210,020 quarters in 1853—a figure not surpassed until 1876—production dipped slightly in 1854 before plummeting by more than 80% in 1855. Despite this sharp decline, business-strike 1855 Liberty Seated Quarters (#5435) remain relatively available, trading at price levels comparable to 1854 issues. Conversely, the 1853 Liberty Seated Quarter with Arrows and Rays (#5426) remains a prized one-year type, driving significant premiums due to intense demand from type collectors.
The Rarity of "Master Coins" (Proofs)
Unlike business strikes, Master Coins (today known simply as "Proofs") were not issued in quantity. Based on survival rates, mintages likely remained in the low-to-high single digits throughout the 1840s before seeing a slight uptick in 1854 and 1855, followed by a massive surge in 1856.
In his Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Proof Coins 1722–1989 (1989), Walter Breen estimated a survival rate of 15 to 20 pieces for the 1855 Liberty Seated Quarter Proof (#5551). However, he cited only six specific examples:
- The Mint Cabinet Piece: Now held in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian.
- Auction Citations: The remaining five were identified through legacy auction records. With the exception of the Boyd piece, most were described vaguely. While two were plated in early catalogs, only one can be satisfactorily linked to a modern specimen.
The Modern Census: PCGS Population Analysis
The current PCGS population is bifurcated between standard Proofs and frosted Cameos.
Cameo Proofs (4 total)
The PCGS Census logs four Cameo examples. Three are traceable to 21st-century auctions and possess discrete characteristics detailed in our table below; the fourth remains elusive.
Standard Proofs (7 total)
We have identified seven active PCGS certifications in this category: Three feature PCGS TrueView photography. One was last traded by Heritage Auctions in 2015. The remainder have either traded privately, are held in longtime collections, or have been cracked out and reencapsulated without PCGS having been notified to deactive the old certification number.
Of those we can trace:
- The Dell Loy Hansen Specimen (PCGS PR63): Distinguished by a curious mark above the eagle's wing, this is likely the Woodin-Newcomer-Boyd coin.
- The PCGS PR62 Specimen: Appears to be the same coin illustrated in Stack’s October 1956 sale of the Major Lenox R. Lohr Collection.
Two additional specimens—one from the John J. Pittman Collection (with its notable obverse fingerprint) and another from the Grant Pierce Collection—round out the count of coins traceable through public auction data. This brings the total number of confirmed, distinct examples to 10.
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Regency XVI Preview | Legend Rare Coin Auctions | February 18, 2016
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