This attractive golden-gray specimen exhibits pale rose and blue iridescence in a bold light source, a grand amount of supportive luster, and a strike that is finer than typically seen for the variety – Browning-2, Rarity-2.
The surfaces exhibit clash marks on both sides and there are a group of advanced die cracks on the reverse. A cud later forms on the reverse above TATE in STATES, but the specimen offered in this sale is from an earlier reverse die state and has yet to form the mentioned cud.
Quarter dollars of the Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle style, as offered, were made in just four years – 1804, 1805, 1806, and 1807. After 1807, no quarters were produced until 1815, and those were of a new style. Fortunately for today’s collectors, the 1806 is not a major rarity, and though it is scarce in high grades, examples such as this beautiful piece are not priced to the stratosphere, and when located, make excellent additions to advanced U.S. type sets as well as early quarter holdings.
If past auction history is any gauge, all eyes will be on our Philadelphia event, and many of those same eyes will be on the beautiful 1806 quarter as it crosses the auction block. If you mean to have an example as fine as this piece, your best bet is to bid with tenacity, or else the lovely MS-64 1806 quarter may find its way into a world-class collection other than yours.
