1806 25C B-10 MS(PCGS#38937)

The Regency Auction 61

Auctioneer

Legend Rare Coin Auctions

Lot Number

84

Grade

MS64

Price

58,750

Lot Description

EX. D. BRENT POGUE COLLECTION, as noted on the insert. This is a MONSTER near-GEM 1806 quarter, let alone being the FINEST KNOWN B-10 known. Truly a delight to behold in every respect! From the gorgeous multicolored toning, exceptional quality surfaces, brilliant satiny mint luster, sharply struck devices, and illustrious provenance! The mintage of 206,124 quarters struck in 1806 was completed using 10 different die pairings; the Browning-10 die pairing is RARE overall, considered to be Rarity-5, and the presently offered example, with a pedigree that stretches back to the beginning of the hobby in the United States, that of Mathew Stickney, who acquired this essentially GEM quality Draped Bust quarter prior to 1854. A glorious array of colors range from olive and sea-green patina at the peripheries, blending with pale blue, lilac, with hints of rose, magenta, and peach accents toward the centers. The exceptional mint brilliance that radiates boldly throughout the surfaces. The fields are smooth, clean, and free of any flaws. Even with the aid of a strong glass, only a tiny tick or two are revealed, but only after long scrutiny. For a Draped Bust quarter, the strike is exacting, with crisply defined devices at the peripheries, as well as in the central design elements. Liberty's hair curls, the eagle's neck feathers, and all the details show a precision that is very rarely seen on this type. The eye appeal is absolutely SUPERB. If this coin had graded higher, we would not have flinched! The Browning-10 die pairing was discovered, while Ard Browning's seminal work on early quarters was at the printer and thus it was not included in the original edition of the first standard die variety attribution guide for quarters. This was the fourth example of this challenging die pairing to be verified, when Walter Breen identified it in the 1958 ANA auction, where it was offered unattributed. The long provenance then comes to include such modern day numismatic luminaries as Oliver Jung and D. Brent Pogue, before being placed in the Perfection Collection. Ex Matthew A. Stickney Collection, prior to 1854; Henry Chapman's June 1907 sale of the Stickney Collection, lot 1126; 1958 ANA Auction, Abe Kosoff, August 1958, lot 90; New Netherlands Coin Co.'s 52nd Sale, December 1958, lot 502; Auction '86, Paramount, July 1986, lot 1611; James Swan Collection; Auction '90, Superior, August 1990, lot 1062; Bowers & Merena, January 1993, lot 428; Stack's, January 1994, lot 234; Superior, February 1998, lot 1987; Oliver Jung Collection; ANR's sale of the Jung Collection, July 2004, lot 47; Heritage, August 2006, lot 5164; Heritage, October 2006, lot 884; D. Brent Pogue Collection; Stack's Bowers/Sotheby's sale of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part I, May 2015, lot 1055. PCGS 10, NGC 11, CAC 6. Realizing $54,344 over eight years ago. The published levels are biased lower due to more common varieties selling in auction. This spectacular coin, the finest known of a very challenging die marriage will delight both type and variety specialists alike. For the date, there are just half a dozen graded finer at PCGS. This coin will bring a very strong bid from the advanced collector when it crosses the block. Good luck. Cert. Number 6541881 PCGS # 38937