Stack’s Bowers Galleries is excited to offer a rare early gold issue, the 1833 quarter eagle, in the Rarities Night session of our June Showcase Auction. The Philadelphia Mint struck just 4,160 quarter eagles in 1833, a mintage reflecting the denomination’s relative unpopularity and limited use in commerce. The 1833 is eclipsed only by the 1834 for the rarest date in the Capped Bust quarter eagle series, and U.S. gold coin expert Doug Winter named it and the 1829 as his favorite dates in the series for type collectors.
One pair of dies was used for the entire 1833 mintage, a marriage cataloged as BD-1; interestingly, the reverse die used for the 1833 had been used for all quarter eagles struck since 1830 and was only retired with the introduction of the Classic Head design in 1834. When Congress reduced the weight of gold coins in mid-1834, many early quarter eagles were consigned to the melting pot, further winnowing an already small population. Experts estimate that between 50 and 100 of the 1833 issue survive today.
On PCGS CoinFacts, Ron Guth describes the strike quality of the date as “inconsistent,” an appraisal shared by many experts. Catalogers are quick to call attention to better-than-typical strikes. Our cataloger states: “Relatively pleasing orange-honey color is seen on both sides of this sharply defined example. Some of the original finish remains, and the fields are modestly semi-prooflike when viewed with direct lighting. A slightly muted appearance and faint hairlines explain the PCGS qualifier, yet this quarter eagle is fairly smooth and there are no sizable marks. BD Die State a/c.”
For more information on our June Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Summer Expo, or to consign your numismatic items to this or another of our upcoming auctions, call 800-458-4646 or email Info@StacksBowers.com.
