1818/5 25C MS65 NGC. B-1, R.2

Pricing & History
1818/5 25C MS65 NGC. B-1, R.2. Obverse Die State 2/Reverse Die State 4. All B-1 quarters are overdates, but on this piece the underdigit requires strong magnification to discern. Only the top of the 5 is seen in the upper loop of the 8 as an angling bar. This die variety was obviously hoarded as an unusually large number of high grade examples are known even in Gem condition. To qualify that last statement "an unusually large number" amounts to only 16 pieces between both grading services with four finer (5/10). In another, more heavily collected series, such as Morgan dollars or Walking Liberty halves, such a low survivorship would qualify as a major rarity. Early quarters have started to come into their own in recent years, undoubtedly in part because of the new Tompkins book, and their rarity is much better understood and appreciated today. The surfaces of this piece show lovely, soft mint frost beneath multiple layers of blue, yellow, gray, and rose iridescence that covers each side. The central details are softly defined, but the peripheries are strongly detailed. There are no noticeable abrasions on either side of this lovely Gem. Census: 9 in 65, 2 finer (4/10). Grade: 65, Service: NGC, Service No.: 5323, Issue Date: 1818/5, Denomination: 25C