[ REVISED FEBRUARY 2018 ]

Of the ten die pairs known for 1818 Quarters, two employed a previously unused 1815 obverse die engraved by John Reich, which was later over-dated by Robert Scot for use in 1818. Browning 1 is the first use of this over-dated obverse, and it exhibits a strong over-date with the 5 under-digit clearly visible. Browning 3 is a later use of the obverse die, now lapped to erase nearly all evidence of the 5.

The James A. Stack Collection, a provenance well known to include many of the finest known Early American coins, also included three of the finest surviving 1818/5 Capped Bust Quarters. Sold in a single owner sale by Stack’s in March, 1975, lot 12, one of the finest examples of Browning 1, is today certified by PCGS as MS66, PCGS #34980723. The Stack collection also included two exceptional examples of Browning 3, lots 13 and 14, which are also both certified by PCGS as MS66, PCGS #34980724 (photos above) and #02808166.

Coins struck from both 1818/5 die pairs are regularly available in Mint State, and enough high grade, unattributed 1818 Quarters have now been attributed as Browning 3, that high grade B.3s should be priced as type coins for the series of Capped Bust, Large Size Quarters. However, examples of Browning 1 continue to bring premiums across all grades as the strongest examples of the 1818/5 overdate.

CONDITION CENSUS

Browning 1

1.  MS66+e  Newman NGC MS67 #2037631-010

[Full luster, with vivid, natural second color. Prominent dark streak reverse.]
The Newman 1815 Quarter carries a provenance chain common to many of the Newman silver coins – “Colonel” E.H.R. Green, Green Estate, St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co., Eric P. Newman, Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society – followed by its sale in the “Eric P. Newman Collection Part II” (Heritage 11/2013:33336) at $176,250 as NGC MS67 to Oliver Jung; then sold by Oliver Jung in the 2014 ANA auction (Heritage 8/2014: 5569 @ $182,125).

2.  MS66  James A. Stack PCGS MS66 #34980723

James A. Stack; Stack’s 3/1975: 12 @ $2,700 as “Brilliant Uncirculated gem”; later Bowers & Merena 8/2000: 1255 @ $17,250 as PCGS MS66 [#7455868 ?].

3.  MS66  Gardner PCGS MS66 #84993847

RARCOA, Privately 7/1997 to Gene Gardner; Eugene H. Gardner; Heritage 6/2014: 30348 @ $55,813 as PCGS MS65 #4205932.

4.  MS66  Eliasberg, Link PCGS MS66 #2628654

[Typical Eliasberg filmy gray.]
Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr.; Bowers & Merena 4/1997: 1367 @ $18,700 as “MS-64”; later Legend Auctions 12/2013: 83 @ $66,125 as PCGS MS66 to Chuck Link.

5.  MS65  Pittman, Pogue PCGS MS65 #33520483

E.H.R. Green; Numismatic Gallery 8/1946: 418 @ $33; John Jay Pittman; David Akers Numismatics 5/1998: 1271 @ $40,700 as “Magnificent Gem”; Pogue Family; Stack’s Bowers “D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part I”, 5/2015: 1058 @ $32,900 as PCGS MS65 #22065942; Kagin’s 3/2017: 1160 @ $31,725 as PCGS MS65 #33520483.

6.  MS65  PCGS MS65 #27440977

[Stack’s 3/2010: 683 BB @ $25K Reserve], Stack’s Bowers 1/2013: 13173 @ $27,025 as PCGS MS65

Browning 3

1.  MS66  James A. Stack PCGS MS66 #34980723

[Exceptional original color, and one of the first 1818 Quarters of any variety certified as MS66 by PCGS.]
James A. Stack; Stack’s 3/1975: 13 @ $3,200 as “Brilliant Uncirculated gem”; Heritage “Silbermunzen” 5/2008: 295 @ $80,500 as PCGS MS66 #7308527

2.  MS66  Stack, Pogue PCGS MS66 #02808166

James A. Stack; Stack’s 3/1975: 14 @ $2,500 as “Brilliant Uncirculated gem”; RARCOA “Auction’90” 8/1990: 640 @ $27,500 as PCGS MS65; Pogue Family; Stack’s Bowers “D. Brent Pogue, Part I” 5/2015: 1059 @ $49,398 to Joe O’Connor for OCNUMIS; privately to Oliver Jung “The Type Set”

3.  MS65  Jung PCGS MS65 #25535347

Bowers & Merena 7/2003: 1144 @ $17,250 as PCGS MS65; Oliver Jung; ANR 7/2004: 48 @ $18,400 as PCGS MS65; Bowers & Merena 8/2007: 592 @ $16,100 as NGC MS65; Heritage 8/2011: 7105 @ $14,950 as NGC MS65 #1822506-003; Heritage 1/2012: 3173 @ $16,100 as NGC MS65 #3467997-001; Heritage 4/2012: 5084 @ $34,500 as PCGS MS65 #25535347; Heritage 1/2018: 4821 @ $26,400 as PCGS #25535347