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type B quarter history
ProofArtworkonCircs
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<<<< Not knowing this series at all, could someone enlighten the ignorant? I can see a die from one year, but why did this difference continue throughout all the years listed? Thanks. >>
Excellent question which I'm sure has some bearing on the popularity of the coin. Unlike the Type 2 IKE, these do cover multiple years.
I personally do not have an answer so perhaps Herb or RWB can add to this as I'd certainly like to know how it occured with such regularity.>>
I think I could write an entire book on this subject. There is enough material. A very brief history will now be given that I think covers the questions asked so far.
In July 1936 a letter from the Director of the Mint was published in the Numismatist explaining why the 1936 proof sets were inferior in appearnce to earlier ones. Part of this was due to the mint policy - "All the present coins are made from sculptured models without retouching with a graver in any way in order to preserve the exact quality and texture of the original sculpter's work. This gives a more or less uneven background with less sharpness in the details...."
In 2008, our own RWB published previously unpublished sections of this letter in Coin World. This attributed this rule to President Theodore Roosevelt. In Roger's Peace Dollar book, he quotes James Fraser, then of the Fine Arts Commision, expressing similiar sentiments about the Peace Dollar. The Mint Director, goes on in his 1936 letter to express reservations about this technique.
The silver type A has a weak reverse. Look at the leaf by A of DOLLAR. This is almost invisible. Now imagine what happens to it when we polish it on a proof die. So the next unexpected step makes sense. In 1937 appeared a radically different proof only quarter reverse. In 1936 the Mint director had reservations and now has apparently taken violent action in spite of the rules. This proof only type B artwork was apparently made from a type A hub by carving the heck out of it to establish a sharp device field boundary. The hub looks like the coin. Imagine taking a silver quarter and carving away at the field with a very sharp knife to improve the appearance. This is just how the new hub was made. It has been said that the barb on the top arrowhead was eliminated. If you use a loupe, you can see it is still there. It is overwhelmed by the new yawning caivity next to it. More on this when you get to 1968, when we find a real example of barb deletion.
Now that we have a proof only hub with special artwork, it was used for all future proof production until 1968, the year of the first clad proofs. Late in 1968, it was used again until 1972. I am amazed that all this never made a biger splash than it did. This Great Mint Revolution of 1937 should make the numismatic history books. 1937-1972 is a span of 36 years. That is the longest lived hub, beating the silver type A of 1932-1966 (dated 1964).
In the meantime type B business strikes first appeared in 1956. I believe that certain proof dies were produced and found wanting. Then before polishing, they were sent to the circulation strike area rather than scrapping them. This continued through 1964. I have previously mention in this thread problems in certain 1956 and 1963 circulation type B's.
Clads started in 1965. There were a series of different business strike hubs there in the early years. Two of these were used for a very few 1968 S proofs. History repeated in that one of these hubs was carved up in a very similiar manner to the 1937 case to make a proof master hub. But this time, they did wipe out the barb on the top arrowhead. Also this time, the master die made from it was also touched up. The result was used for about 75% of the 1968 S production. I have called this one type M. Very little notice has been taken of it, but I think it really deserves some. After 1968, type M was never used for proofs, but appear on a minority of 1969 D, 1970 D and 1970 Philly. It is in the majority of the D quarters in the 1970 mint sets. Why the type M was made and why it was scrapped are mysteries to me.
Late in 1968, the original type B was brought out of retirement. Its master die had the tailfeather centerlines in relief added to it to match the other clads of that era. This was used for nearly 25% of the 1968 S proof production. It was then used for 100% of the 1970 S, 1971 S and 1972 S production. Like 1956-1964, a few type B business strikes are known for 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972, but this time from the Denver mint. I believe the 1971 D B is a one die phenomen since all have the same die chip and 1972 is also since it is just as scarce.
Thus we have 4 different reverse hubs used for 1968 S quarters. These same 4 hubs were used for 1969 D production. In the meantime 1969 Philly and 1969 S had one only each.
1972 - end of an era for unique proof artwork. Also applies to Ike dollars.
In 1973 - 1974 a new hub was used for all production - proof and business strikes.
Here are a couple of threads with more information and pictures leaning towards clads:
http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=627990&highlight_key=y&keyword1=1970
Has pictures and descriptions of 4 different 1970 quarter reverses including types B and M.
http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=659907&highlight_key=y&keyword1=type b
Simple keys to quickly identify the different varieties.
The Franklin half had special proof artwork 1956 -1963 and business strikes from them in the 1958 and 1959 Philly issues.
A 1959 mint set will probably have both a proofartwork Philadelphia quarter and half.
Excellent question which I'm sure has some bearing on the popularity of the coin. Unlike the Type 2 IKE, these do cover multiple years.
I personally do not have an answer so perhaps Herb or RWB can add to this as I'd certainly like to know how it occured with such regularity.>>
I think I could write an entire book on this subject. There is enough material. A very brief history will now be given that I think covers the questions asked so far.
In July 1936 a letter from the Director of the Mint was published in the Numismatist explaining why the 1936 proof sets were inferior in appearnce to earlier ones. Part of this was due to the mint policy - "All the present coins are made from sculptured models without retouching with a graver in any way in order to preserve the exact quality and texture of the original sculpter's work. This gives a more or less uneven background with less sharpness in the details...."
In 2008, our own RWB published previously unpublished sections of this letter in Coin World. This attributed this rule to President Theodore Roosevelt. In Roger's Peace Dollar book, he quotes James Fraser, then of the Fine Arts Commision, expressing similiar sentiments about the Peace Dollar. The Mint Director, goes on in his 1936 letter to express reservations about this technique.
The silver type A has a weak reverse. Look at the leaf by A of DOLLAR. This is almost invisible. Now imagine what happens to it when we polish it on a proof die. So the next unexpected step makes sense. In 1937 appeared a radically different proof only quarter reverse. In 1936 the Mint director had reservations and now has apparently taken violent action in spite of the rules. This proof only type B artwork was apparently made from a type A hub by carving the heck out of it to establish a sharp device field boundary. The hub looks like the coin. Imagine taking a silver quarter and carving away at the field with a very sharp knife to improve the appearance. This is just how the new hub was made. It has been said that the barb on the top arrowhead was eliminated. If you use a loupe, you can see it is still there. It is overwhelmed by the new yawning caivity next to it. More on this when you get to 1968, when we find a real example of barb deletion.
Now that we have a proof only hub with special artwork, it was used for all future proof production until 1968, the year of the first clad proofs. Late in 1968, it was used again until 1972. I am amazed that all this never made a biger splash than it did. This Great Mint Revolution of 1937 should make the numismatic history books. 1937-1972 is a span of 36 years. That is the longest lived hub, beating the silver type A of 1932-1966 (dated 1964).
In the meantime type B business strikes first appeared in 1956. I believe that certain proof dies were produced and found wanting. Then before polishing, they were sent to the circulation strike area rather than scrapping them. This continued through 1964. I have previously mention in this thread problems in certain 1956 and 1963 circulation type B's.
Clads started in 1965. There were a series of different business strike hubs there in the early years. Two of these were used for a very few 1968 S proofs. History repeated in that one of these hubs was carved up in a very similiar manner to the 1937 case to make a proof master hub. But this time, they did wipe out the barb on the top arrowhead. Also this time, the master die made from it was also touched up. The result was used for about 75% of the 1968 S production. I have called this one type M. Very little notice has been taken of it, but I think it really deserves some. After 1968, type M was never used for proofs, but appear on a minority of 1969 D, 1970 D and 1970 Philly. It is in the majority of the D quarters in the 1970 mint sets. Why the type M was made and why it was scrapped are mysteries to me.
Late in 1968, the original type B was brought out of retirement. Its master die had the tailfeather centerlines in relief added to it to match the other clads of that era. This was used for nearly 25% of the 1968 S proof production. It was then used for 100% of the 1970 S, 1971 S and 1972 S production. Like 1956-1964, a few type B business strikes are known for 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972, but this time from the Denver mint. I believe the 1971 D B is a one die phenomen since all have the same die chip and 1972 is also since it is just as scarce.
Thus we have 4 different reverse hubs used for 1968 S quarters. These same 4 hubs were used for 1969 D production. In the meantime 1969 Philly and 1969 S had one only each.
1972 - end of an era for unique proof artwork. Also applies to Ike dollars.
In 1973 - 1974 a new hub was used for all production - proof and business strikes.
Here are a couple of threads with more information and pictures leaning towards clads:
http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=627990&highlight_key=y&keyword1=1970
Has pictures and descriptions of 4 different 1970 quarter reverses including types B and M.
http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=26&threadid=659907&highlight_key=y&keyword1=type b
Simple keys to quickly identify the different varieties.
The Franklin half had special proof artwork 1956 -1963 and business strikes from them in the 1958 and 1959 Philly issues.
A 1959 mint set will probably have both a proofartwork Philadelphia quarter and half.
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