The Early Quarter Dollars of the United States
A. W. Browning
Quarter Dollars of 1832
Total number of pieces coined 320,000. Two varieties are known.
No. 1
Obverse: 2 in date under curl but not centered; lower left star most distant from bust; upper right somewhat nearer cap; lower right near the hair, lower point nearer than upper.
Reverse: The same as 1831 [Browning] 5 and 6.
Dies perfect. Scarce if sharp.
Long arrowheads, reverse of 1831 B-5.
Browning-1; Clapp-1; Duphorne-63; Breen-3921; Haseltine-1.
Rarity-1.
Die States: I. Perfect.
II. Faint crack from curl through last two stars. Plate VI.
Proofs: One reported.
Mint State specimens are plentiful though not as numerous as the common varieties of 1831. Famous examples include: Clapp, Eliasberg; Boyd, WGC:107, prooflike; Cass, Empire:1029. Many others have full mint sharpness but signs of old cleaning or other less than careful handling.
One seen with the crowned FR VII countermark for the Virgin Islands (1849-59). Cf. O.B. Carlsen, The Numismatist, Jan. 1928. Usually these countermarked coins are of later date: SCWC 24, p. 460.
Numerical Condition Census (RWM, Sr. [circa 1992]): 63, 60+, 60+, 60PL, 60, 60.
No. 2
Obverse: The same as [Browning] 1.
Reverse: The value, 25 C., somewhat nearer eagle than border; 2 and 5 further apart than in [Browning] 1; arrowheads are smaller than in [Browning] 1. The eagle has no tongue.
Dies perfect. Scarce if sharp.
Short arrowheads, not close to border.
Browning-2; Claoo-2; Duphorne-64; Breen-3922; H-2.
Almost or not quite Rarity-2.
Obverse die with the faint crack described in B-1; this shows on Plate VI, despite Browning's careless "Dies perfect" Notation.
Proofs:
1. Eliasberg Estate.
2. Eric P. Newman
3. Landau, NN 52:507. Impaired.
Two others reported.
Rare in Mint State.
Uncirculated are not necessarily in order of quality.
1. Superior 1/86
2. Bowers & Merena 1/89. Prooflike.
3. J.H. South:480.
4. Reed Hawn:280.
5. 1978 ANA:725.
6. Stack's 9/86.
7. Stack's 6/87 (same?)
Numerical Condition Census (RWM, Sr. [circa 1992]): 63, 63, 63, 60+, 60PL, 60.