1836 Browning-4 Reduced Size Bust Quarter
1TwoBits
Posts: 464 ✭✭✭✭
The following 1836 Browning-4 quarter is the plate coin in Early Quarter Dollars of the United States Mint 1796-1838 by Rea/Peterson/Karoleff/Kovach. The Browning-4 is a scarcer variety 1836 (R4) with multiple obverse and reverse die cracks. It was first sold at auction in The Classic Sale (ANR 12/2003), Lot 645 @ $4,830 where is resided in a PCGS MS63 holder. I really liked the coin, and it was a brilliant piece with somewhat proof-like fields. If anything, it was maybe a little on the white side from a dip at some time and did have a little bit of toning and a couple stains - laminations. However, it was attractive and frosty looking. Here are pictures of the coin out of the holder:
Here is a PCGS Trueview of the coin:
I graded the coin raw at NGC where it went into an MS64 holder, but was never able to get it into a 64 holder at PCGS. I sold the coin in Heritage's Philadelphia Signature Sale 8/2/12 Lot 3256 @ $8,225. See the pictures below:
The coin came up for auction again at the recent August 2016 Heritage ANA Signature Sale in Anaheim, Lot 3732 @ $4,230. See pictures from the current auction below:
There have been a limited number of early quarter variety collections auctioned over the last number of years, though there were a number of bust quarter varieties in the Anaheim auction from the Hamilton Collection that varied in quality. Prior to that, there was a collection with a number of early quarter varieties auctioned in Heritage's September 17-20 2015 Long Beach Signature Auction that were consigned by a dealer on behalf of a collector which contained many older holdered coins and again varied quality. Prior to this, there was the privately dispersed complete collection of bust quarter varieties assembled by Charlton Meyer (2008). There were also the nearly complete collections as follows... the Stack's sale of the Rich Uhrich Collection in February 2008, the Heritage sale of Jules Reiver's collection in January 2006, and the Russell Logan collection auctioned by Bowers & Merena in November 2002.
I was wondering what Forum members thought of the 1836 B-4 example above, and the sudden $4k drop in the price realized from the 2012 to the 2016 auction. I've seen some posts where members have noted that collectors don't really pursue variety collecting of bust quarters any longer. Or, could it be that isn't a desirable example for a type set and some find it unattractive? Is it related to a slow coin market at this time? Maybe there are other reasons for the price drop. What are your thoughts? I think the collector that purchased the coin at the Anaheim ANA got an attractive and scarce variety at a nice price.
1TwoBits
Here is a PCGS Trueview of the coin:
I graded the coin raw at NGC where it went into an MS64 holder, but was never able to get it into a 64 holder at PCGS. I sold the coin in Heritage's Philadelphia Signature Sale 8/2/12 Lot 3256 @ $8,225. See the pictures below:
The coin came up for auction again at the recent August 2016 Heritage ANA Signature Sale in Anaheim, Lot 3732 @ $4,230. See pictures from the current auction below:
There have been a limited number of early quarter variety collections auctioned over the last number of years, though there were a number of bust quarter varieties in the Anaheim auction from the Hamilton Collection that varied in quality. Prior to that, there was a collection with a number of early quarter varieties auctioned in Heritage's September 17-20 2015 Long Beach Signature Auction that were consigned by a dealer on behalf of a collector which contained many older holdered coins and again varied quality. Prior to this, there was the privately dispersed complete collection of bust quarter varieties assembled by Charlton Meyer (2008). There were also the nearly complete collections as follows... the Stack's sale of the Rich Uhrich Collection in February 2008, the Heritage sale of Jules Reiver's collection in January 2006, and the Russell Logan collection auctioned by Bowers & Merena in November 2002.
I was wondering what Forum members thought of the 1836 B-4 example above, and the sudden $4k drop in the price realized from the 2012 to the 2016 auction. I've seen some posts where members have noted that collectors don't really pursue variety collecting of bust quarters any longer. Or, could it be that isn't a desirable example for a type set and some find it unattractive? Is it related to a slow coin market at this time? Maybe there are other reasons for the price drop. What are your thoughts? I think the collector that purchased the coin at the Anaheim ANA got an attractive and scarce variety at a nice price.
1TwoBits
Searching for bust quarters.....counterstamps, errors, and AU-MS varieties, please let me know if you can help.
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