1873 25C Open 3 MS (PCGS#5485)
The March 2011 Baltimore Auction
- Auctioneer
- Stack's Bowers
- Lot Number
- 1633
- Grade
- MS66
- Price
- 9,513
- Lot Description
- 1873 Seated Liberty Quarter. No Arrows. Open 3. MS-66 (NGC). This is the final P-mint Seated Quarter struck before the Mint Act of February 12, 1873 increased the weight standard for this denomination from 6.22 grams to 6.25 grams. Many of the 172,000 Open 3 coins struck are believed to have been destroyed in the Mint to provide bullion for the newly authorized w/Arrows coinage of 1873-1874, and attrition due to circulation also took its toll on this issue. Very scarce even in lower Mint State grades, the high-end Gem we highlight here is tied for Condition Census #1.<br /> Decidedly semi-prooflike in finish, both sides exhibit shimmering reflectivity in the fields. The devices are set apart with a frosty texture, and they are also possessed of needle-sharp striking detail. Both sides are silky smooth in sheen and richly toned, the obverse in golden-gray iridescence and the reverse in equally vibrant steel-gray patina. An important find for the advanced collector of Seated Liberty coinage.
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