Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States and Colonial Proof Coins 1722-1989

- B. 8-G, C-5. "K-1". Wide date, 7th star recut, A below M, 1 below O. Four seen, the best being the F.C.C. Boyd -WGC :476 - Adolph Friedman -1946 ANA: 243 -R.J. Lathrop - NN 40: 480 - Jonathan Edelstein piece. Cf. also 1946 ANA: 1604; 1958 ANA: 40; LM2/71:563.

- Unattributed. (1) Mickley, Reichardt, Joseph P. Reakirt, Lt. Jay P. Reakirt, Columbus (Ga.) Stamp & Coin Co. (1962), to Mrs. Norweb, in set with 25¢, 50¢. (2) KS 4/59: 1555, KS 2/60: 1171. (3) Menjou: 176. (4) Philadelphia Estate, ex Morgenthau, Oct. 5, 1939:469. (5) Kern:1670,s same as (2)?

Quarter. One of the most famous rarities of the American silver series. Here we deal only with the original (rev. curve based 2, I in motto below T at r., same as 1828 B-1), Browning 1. The story has already been mentioned of how Joseph J. Mickley in 1827 obtained his four original proofs late in the year in exchange for a Spanish or Mexican silver dollar. Of Mickley's four, one was sold to George F. Seavey, one to Jeremiah Colburn, one to Rev. Joseph Finotti, and the fourth went in 1867 with the dime and half dollar to J.P. Reichardt. All are tentatively identified. The following pedigree list differs from any previously printed and is believed to be more accurate; uncertainties still exist and are so noted. We may conjecture an original mintage of 12.

1. Adam Eckfeldt, Mint, S1. Cleaned.

2. Mickley (I), Rev. Joseph Finotti, G.F. Seavey:471 (1873) by which time already the property of Lorin G. Parmelee; cleaned; later Parmelee:975, Col. Green, B.G. Johnson, J.A. Stack estate: 29, $50,000. Pictured in Seavey, Parmelee and Browning Plate. Top hand upper r. borders weak, last two stars flat, 4th and 10th partly flat but show centers, top rev. border flat.

3. Mickley (II), John F. McCoy:508, Ely:244, G.W. Massamore, Cleneay:1339, Mills:999, Wetmore: 396, Waldo Newcomer, B. Max Mehl (1933), A.J. Allen, George H. Hall (privately), Clinton Hester, Jerome Kern (with the restrike and the proof 1823 at $7500 for the group), New Netherlands, Wayte Raymond, Raymond estate, NN 49:1149, D.N. for the TAD collection (at $5,750, June 1957), 1976 ANA:962 at $35,000. Pictured in Cleneay, Mills, Wetmore, and NN49. Third and fourth stars flat; light cucumber-shaped discoloration near 9th to 11th stars.

4. Mickley (III), Seavey:226 (1863), Joseph N.T. Levick, Woodward 10/64:437, Dr. Frank Smith Edwards: 1202 (1866), Lewis White (E. Cogan, April 17, 1876): 177, R. Coulton Davis: 1425, unknown intermediates, Charles M. Williams, Menjou:696, King Farouk, N. Y. specialist. Badly stained, cleaned for Farouk and minus most of its proof surface.

5. Mickley (IV), Mickley: 1706 with the dime and half dollar, J.P. Reichardt, Reichardt family (name later changed to Reakirt), Joseph P. Reakirt (Cincinnati), Lt. Jay P. Reakirt, Columbus (Ga.) Stamp & Coin Co.; seen at Detroit ANA Convention, 1962; in Columbus MBS to Mrs. Norweb. All stars show centers, which is probably why Mickley kept this one when he sold the others.

6. H.O. Granberg, ANS 1914 exhibit, William H. Woodin, later fate uncertain; believed later to Dr. Owens, Yale University. Not recovered after the Yale robbery. Probably has been drastically cleaned to prevent identification. If this is the Granberg coin, it can be identified by the following: Obv. perfectly centered, no part of border weaker; last two stars flat; rev. border narrower at top; none of the stigmata of the other specimens.

7. F.C.C. Boyd, WGC:89, Neil:897,Guggenheimer:539, R.L. Miles: 898, Speir sale:20, Hughes, 1977 ANA. Pictured in all these auctions, though the Guggenheimer illustration is too poor in quality to prove continuity though it is so claimed in all later appearances. Last two stars flat, top obverse border flat but broader than on any other known example, rev. well centered; cleaned long ago. In the Miles sale this was erroneously identified as the Parmelee coin and the Browning Plate coin; they are similar but not identical.

8. John H. Clapp at an unknown date prior to 1941; Stack's; Louis Eliasberg coll, VF plus.

9. -Alvarez, Jerry Cohen, ca. 1972, QS9/73 :670, $28,000, Stacks, Reed Hawn:275 (3/77). Top and bottom obv. borders both weaker (blurrier) than remainder, and in part much less clear than on no. 6 with Which this conceivably could be confused; plain rim nick almost midway between 8th and 9th stars; all stars show centers but most are partly flat; rev. well centered, top border not as clear as rest. Pictured in the QS catalogue. Accepted as a hitherto unknown specimen, once the difference from number 6 was demonstrated.