1826/6 $2.50 MS(PCGS#7665)

The January 2013 Americana Sale

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

13289

等级

AU58

价格

384,355

详细说明

1826/'5' Capped Head Left Quarter Eagle. BD-1, the only known dies. Rarity-5+. AU-58 (PCGS). CAC. Struck on the usual orange-gold planchet with reflectivity remaining in the fields. The strike is sharp on the stars and Liberty's curls, as well as the eagle right down to his talons. The surfaces are pleasing as there are minimal handling marks from brief circulation, and none warrant further description. Long reported that the mintage for the <em>year</em> was 760 pieces, but more of these were likely struck in late 1826 or early 1827 and <em>delivered </em>in 1827 and thus included in that mintage. Given the relative rarity of the 1826 and 1827 quarter eagles, the actually number struck of 1826 quarter eagles is likely closer to 1750 pieces, with the number known today in the 30 to 35 range. It was common practice at the Mint to record the number delivered in a particular year rather than the actual number of a particular date struck of coins in this period. In the end today, mintages are not as important as the number that survive, and this estimate carries far more weight&nbsp;for a numismatist seeking an example.<br /> <br /> Noted authority John Dannreuther, when studying the Harry W. Bass, Jr., Collection of gold coins came to the conclusion (along with Harry Bass) that the overdate obverse die was more likely a repunched 6 than a prior 1825 die. On a very early die state of 1826 quarter eagle a mispunched 6 is visible well to the left near the 2, and the more commonly seen later&nbsp;die state shows evidence of lapping where these fragments that remain were assumed to by a 5 by&nbsp;earlier generations of numismatists. Further circumstantial evidence includes the style and size of the obverse stars that were changed in 1826, with a larger star punch than seen previously. This is noticeable when compared to the two known obverse dies used to coin 1825 quarter eagles which have&nbsp;much smaller style stars on the obverse. Thus, an "overdate" of 1826/5 would mos