The Early Quarter Dollars of the United States

Quarter Dollars of 1827

Total number of pieces coined 4,000. This coin and that of 1823 are the rarest dates in the quarter dollar series. There are to varieties; the "Original" and the "Restrike".

No. 1

Obverse: 1827 over 1823, the lower part of 3, showing plainly under the 7. Date wide, equally spaced, 7 centered under curl; upper right star near cap.

Reverse: Ends of scroll: left under upright of D; right under center of foot of M. On scroll: I under T at right; S is under space between STATES and OF. In the value, 25 C., 2 has a curved base.

Obverse die perfect; reverse is cracked in two places; through E and D in UNITED to top of scroll under first S in STATES; from top of scroll under O in OF, extending to right and connecting A, M and E in AMERICA.

This variety is the "Original" and very rare. Proofs were made from these dies.

7 over 3.
Curved base to 2; I under T at right (not left as in Browning).
Browning-1; Clapp-1; Duphorne-51; Breen-3911; Haseltine-1.
Low Rarity-7.
Probably most of the 4,000 reported were dated 1825.
The following list of survivors is update from EPC. Proofs unless otherwise noted.
1. Adam Eckfeldt, Mint Cabinet, Smithsonian. Cleaned.
2. J.J. Mickley (from Mint at face value,. 1827, like Nos. 3, 4, 5), Reverend Joseph Finotti, George F. Seavey (1873):471, Parmelee:975, Col. Green, B.G. Johnson, J.A. Stack:29, $50,000, San Diego specialist. Plate V.
3. J.J. Mickley, J.F. McCoy:508, Jeremiah Colburn, Heman Ely:244, T. Harrison Garrett, J.W. Garrett:641, $190,000.
4. J.J. Mickley, G.F. Seavey (1863):226, J.N.T. Levick, Woodward 10/64:437, F.S. Edwards:1202 (1866), Lewis White:177 (1876), R. Coulton Davis:1435, C.M. Williams, Menjou:696, Farouk, N.Y. State private collection. Cleaned, discolored, most Proof surface (if any) gone.
5. J.J. Mickley:1706, Reichardt family, J.P. Reakirt, Columbus Stamp & Coin Co., 1963, Mrs. Norweb (in set with 50¢ and dime Proofs of same date), Norweb:1542, $61,600. This was Mickley's favorite specimen. Probably the sharpest striking of all. Illustrated in EPC, and above.
6. G.W. Massamore, Cleneay:1339, Mills:999, W.B. Wetmore:396, Newcomer, Mehl, A.J. Allen, G.H. Hall, Clint Hester, Kern:1412, Wayte Raymond, NN 49:1149, D.N. for owner of "TAD" cents, 1976 ANA:962, $35,000, Auction'80:1177, $70,000.
7. Granberg, Woodin, believed Dr. Owens, Yale, unidentified thieves, pictured in 1914 ANS Exhibition catalogue (Granberg display).
8. Boyd, WGC:89, Neil:897, Guggenheimer:539, Miles:898, Speir Estate sale:20, $40,000, Hughes, 1977 ANA:1175, Auction '79:581.
9. Alvarez, Kreisberg/Cohen 9/73:670, Reed Hawn:275, Robison:1284. Rim nick almost midway between eighth and ninth stars.
10. Found in circulation, Hudson, Michigan, 1893, Nicholas Petry:484, John H. Clapp, Eliasberg Estate, VF.

Numerical Condition Census (RWM, Sr.): Use Roster in Encyclopedia.

No. 2

Obverse: The same as [Browning] 1.

Reverse: From the same die as 1819 [Browning] 2. In the value, 25 C., 2 has a flat base, and the die is cracked from left edge through right part of U to eagle's wing, the crack leaving the border from a point exactly as in No. 2 of 1819. The positions of all the devices in the die are also identical. The obverse die is not cracked.

This variety is known as the "Restrike" and is very rare. In early impressions of this coin the dies are free from rust marks, but in later strikes they vary, some showing the dies somewhat rusty; still later pieces show them very badly rusted. While these coins were undoubtedly struck in the United States Mint, it would appear from the indiscriminate use of dies of widely separated years that it must have been a striking of a much later date, and while interesting it is hardly proper to include it in the regular series.

Flat based 2 in 25 C.
Browning-2; Clapp-2; Duphorne-52; Breen-3912; Haseltine-2. Silver.
Rarity-6, High.
Die States:
I. Relatively unrusted dies; Uncirculated or dull Proof. Issue of 1858-early 1859.
II. Heavily rusted dies. Proofs. Issues of 1859-1860, silver, copper.
The following list is updated from EPC.
1. Boyd, WGC:90. "Uncirculated, much Proof luster on obverse". Vertical field scratch right of second star. State I.
2. Ten Eyck:521, Newcomer, Col. Green, Century:855, Bowers & Ruddy RCRs 19-25 (Jan. 1974-Spring 1977). Plate VIII. Broad upper reverse border. State II.
3. Menjou:697, Edgar Levy:20. State II.
4. Dupont:1803, Baldenhofer:403, Auction '85:677, $20,900. Discoloration before nose, border nick over first A. State II. 101 grs. (6.6 gms).
5. Atwater:697, Grant Pierce:612, Kreisberg/Schulman 4/67:1321, Jay:180, Delp:56, Reed Hawn:274, Robison:1285. State I.
6. Charles A. Cass, Empire:1026.
7. B. Frank:643, Wolfson:789.
8. Miles:899, S 9/75:182, 1978 ANA:22. Cleaned, most Proof surface gone.
9. Neil:898, J.A. Stack:30, San Diego specialist. State I. Struck over an early quarter dollar.
10. John H. Clapp, Eliasberg Estate. State I. Struck over 1806 quarter.
11. Bowers Review 2 (3/61), Empire Review 19 (4-5/64). Broad border at left reverse.
12. Kensington:1213, $18,000.
13. Byron Reed Collection. Flat stars. Confirmed by Mark Auerbach.
14. Norweb:1543, $39,600; ex J.R. Treadway [?], Elder 5/25. State II.

Allenburger:834 (illustration erroneously from Atwater:679) may be No. 4, 6, 7, 8, 11 or 12. Atwater:680 (not illustrated) is thought to be another of those six.

Copper strikings (Adams-Woodin 37, Judd 48), State II: 5 or 6 known? The old claim "3 struck" originated in the Parmelee catalogue.

Numerical Condition Census (RWM, Sr.): Use Roster in Encyclopedia.