1818 25C Browning 5 MS(PCGS#38946)

November 2025 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

3042

Grade

MS65

Price

14,400

Lot Description

Tompkins Die Stage 1/2, Rea et al. Die State a. A landmark rarity among 1818 Capped Bust quarters, and a lovely Gem Mint State example dressed in rich mauve and olive-gray patina. More vivid undertones of pinkish-rose and powder blue are present to shine forth nicely as the coin rotates under a light. The strike is well centered, denticulation just a tad light along the upper reverse border, design elements boldly to sharply rendered throughout. Luster is softly frosted and full, the surfaces expectably smooth and mark-free at the assigned grade level. A few faint planchet drift marks (as made) on Liberty's bust are well blended into the toning, but still serve as useful identifiers for provenance purposes.<p>Circulating Spanish colonial 2 reales in the United States diminished between 1810 and 1825, increasing demand for quarter dollars from local bullion depositors. The Mint required 10 die pairings to strike quarters during this calendar year, with a total mintage of 361,174 pieces. The Browning-5 die pair is one of the scarcer and more conditionally challenged of the issue, and is seldom seen in grades above EF. Only thee or four Mint State examples are listed in the 2008 Tompkins and 2010 Rea et al. censuses, respectively, and the present coin in NGC MS-65 is alone at CC#1 in both listings.