| Description |
1868 25C PR68 S Cameo NGC. Briggs 2-B. This 1868 Seated quarter is well deserving of the near-impossibly high grade of PR68 S Cameo. We are running out of superlatives to express our admiration for these impeccably preserved coins, which except for their patina, undoubtedly look just about the same as in the days they dropped from the Mint's presses -- 150 years ago. Among the 1860s proof quarters, only the 1864 in the Newman Collection is technically finer, certified PR68+ S Cameo. The mintages of Seated quarters for circulation were slow to recover after the Civil War. Mint State business strikes for the 1868 issue are rare. Proofs were struck in the amount of 600 pieces, and while they are not rare in an absolute sense, a piece such as this PR68 S Cameo example is a conditional rarity of the highest order. It is the finest Cameo certified by two grade points (a pair of PCGS submissions grade PR66 Cameo), and the finest Cameo proof at NGC by three grade points. The Briggs 2-B proof die pair shows a couple of anomalies that are seldom seen on proof coinage, but which nonetheless make it easy to distinguish between proofs and prooflike business strikes. A small die crack at ER and die lump at B, as made, appear in LIBERTY on the obverse, and the base of the digit 1 is broadly triple-punched north. This gorgeous coin shows a consistent color palette with its siblings from the 1860s, a ring of silver and amber-gold in the centers radiating outward to aqua and purple hues near the rims. The strike is full throughout, making this another coin of impeccable, unimpeachable quality. Bidders should be prepared for the Newman coins; as the saying goes, "They will never pass this way again." Ex: Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society.
Realized $47,000.00 . Description courtesy of Heritage Auctions, ha.com. |
