Proof quarter eagle production at the Philadelphia Mint amounted to only 67 coins in 1882. Twenty five were delivered with some of the year's Proof sets on February 4, another 15 with additional Proof sets on August 12. The remaining 27 specimens were delivered individually on several occasions throughout the year. Despite a slightly higher mintage (67 vs. 51 coins), the Proof 1882 quarter eagle is nearly as rare as the Proof 1881, suggesting that the former issue suffered a higher rate of attrition through melting of undistributed examples. PCGS CoinFacts suggests that 30 to 35 coins are extant in all grades for the Proof 1882, an estimate likely based on certification data and which may be skewed by resubmissions. John W. Dannreuther provides what we believe is a more accurate estimate of 20 to 24 survivors in his excellent 2018 reference United States Proof Coins, Volume IV: Gold. In any case, the Proof 1882 is an undeniably rare issue, and this offering is an important opportunity for the advanced gold enthusiast.

All known examples of this issue were struck from a single die marriage that features the same reverse die that the Mint used for the Proof 1881 quarter eagle. This die is identifiable by polish within the left side of the first clear stripe in the shield, at the bottom of the second through fourth clear stripes, and a die line in the denticles above the letter E in STATES.

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the June 2020 Showcase Auction, where it sold for $18,000.