Bust Quaters vs Bust Halfs

Frozenink

What do you all think the reasoning is for not seeing bust quarters that have great color or that "original" look that everyone is after in the bust halves. I have seen many that are original with wear and the grey/black look but very few if any that look like the monster halves.

Is this because the quarters actually circulated more that the halves? I recall an article stating in the 1860's out west, the lowest denomination to circulate was the quater, so I guess it saw more use. The halfs sat in bank bags for the most part.

Do I have the correct line of thinking? or am I missing something?

Gary

Baley

I think you've got most of it. Fewer quarters made, much higher attrition, and if by "monster" you mean neon rainbow, less doctoring because there are fewer choice AUs with higher stakes for mistakes

TomB

Fewer quarters produced, higher rate of usage for the quarters and a much higher attrition rate for the quarters should yield fewer high grade pieces. Also, the halves have been the darlings of collectors, dealers and doctors for many years.

Sonorandesertrat

There were far fewer Capped Buster quarters made---look at the mintages. Bowers estimates that more than 1,000,000 CB halves survive in circulated grades vs. 40,000-60,000 CB quarters.

joebb21

Compare the amount of CBH hoards that have been uncovered vs CBQ

BillJones

A great many Bust half dollars spent most of their existence in 19th century bank vaults as back-up for the bank’s paper many. Like the Morgan silver dollars from a later era, they were stored in bags and such that would have promoted more colorful toning. Quarters were more often used in circulation which discouraged such toning to form.

The second factor is mintage. For years, some collectors argued that the Classic Head large cents were rare in high grade (e.g. EF or better) because the copper from which they were made was “soft.” The real answer was in the mintages. The mintage for the Draped Bust type large cent (1796 – 1807) was 16.1 million. The mintage for the Classic Head large cent (1808 – 1814) was 4.8 million.

The same applies to the Bust Quarter vs. the Bust Half Dollar. From 1807 to 1836 the mint issued 82.3 million Bust Half dollars. During the corresponding period, 1815 to 1838 it issued 6 million Bust and Reduced Size Quarters.

Billet7

Sweet thread, great responses. I don't have anything additional to add, I agree with what has been said.