1821 Capped Bust Quarter. B-5. Rarity-7+ as a Proof. Proof-64 (PCGS).
It is a rare occasion when any pre-1858 U.S. Mint Proof coin is offered in the numismatic market of the 21st century. Among the rarest group of classic U.S. Mint coinage, specimens of individual issues can usually be counted on one hand, rarely more than two, with the number available for private ownership even fewer due to examples being impounded in museum collections. For the specimens in private hands, market appearances are often separated by many years, if not decades, and usually result in the coins passing from one tightly held cabinet to another. A particularly noteworthy offering, not only is this an exceedingly rare Proof striking of the 1821 Capped Bust quarter, but it is also a newly confirmed addition to the census, having just been certified as a Proof by PCGS ahead of this sale. The fields are noticeably reflective and support satiny design elements. The strike is expertly centered and impressively sharp, further indicative of the unusual care taken on the part of Mint employees in this coin's production. Yet even so, the detail is not 100% full with a touch of softness to the high points of the eagle's talons on the reverse and, more significantly, star 7 on the obverse, which lacks radial lines - the result of only a single, yet firm strike from the dies. These attributes should cause no concern, however, for they are shared by at least two of the other three confirmed Proofs from these dies. The die state is early, with a clear die line from the bottom of Liberty's bust toward the digit 1 in the date. Attractively original in preservation, the surfaces are beautifully toned in a bold array of iridescent rose-gray, salmon-pink, reddish-apricot and cobalt blue, the most vivid colors appreciable as the coin dips into a light. A fleeting bidding opportunity that deserves the undivided attention of advanced collectors. Produced in limited numbers for official purposes or otherwise by special request, Proof 1821 quarters have been major numismatic rarities since the year of issue. The mintage was never recorded by Mint personnel, although inasmuch as several die pairings are known we can surmise that it was achieved at several different times during the year. Combined PCGS and NGC population data shows seven grading events for this issue, which we believe represents only four distinct coins. Our research has identified only six confirmed Proof 1821 Capped Bust quarters, including uncertified examples, as follows: 1 - Browning-3. NGC Proof-65. Ex our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of the Norweb Collection, Part II, March 1988, lot 1534; Superior's session of Auction '89, July 1989, lot 568; our (Bowers and Merena's) Rarities Sale of August 1996, lot 98; Heritage's CSNS Signature Auction of April 2009, lot 2330; Heritage's Long Beach Signature Auction of September 2010, lot 3913; Heritage's Chicago ANA Signature Auction of August 2015, lot 4023. 2 - Browning-4. NGC Proof-65 or PCGS Proof-64. Ex our (Stack's) sale of the Samuel W. Wolfson Collection, Part II, May 1963, lot 783; our (Stack's) sale of the Reed Hawn Collection, March 1977, lot 271; Paramount Rare Coin List 18-19, 1978; Superior's session of Auction '80, August 1980, lot 116; Superior's sale of the Bernard Turkus Collection, June 1981, lot 513; Superior's sale of the Albert O. Woods Collection, September 1986, lot 3434; Superior's session of Auction '90, August 1990, lot 1070; Superior's Pre-Long Beach Auction of February 1999, lot 698; Heritage's sale of the Eugene H. Gardner Collection, Part II, October 2014, lot 98354; Heritage's sale of the Greensboro Collection, Part VII, January 2019 FUN Signature Auction, lot 4444. This coin was certified Proof-65 by NGC in its recent offerings through Heritage, although it is currently plated on PCGS CoinFacts as a PCGS Proof-64. Additionally, the Rea-Koenings-Haroutunian incorrectly assigns the Wolfson-Hawn portion of this provenance to the Robison specimen (see below), although the latter is from the B-5 dies. This error originated with Walter Breen's Proof census for this issue. 3 - Browning-5. PCGS Proof-67. Ex Thomas Cleneay Collection, before 1887; S.H. and H. Chapman's sale of the Thomas Cleneay Collection, December 1890, lot 1332; John G. Mills Collection; S.H. and H. Chapman's sale of the John G. Mills Collection, April 1904, lot 994; George H. Earle, Jr. Collection; Henry Chapman's sale of the George H. Earle, Jr. Collection, June 1912, lot 3054; unknown intermediaries (probably John H. Clapp, and the Clapp estate); Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, before 1976; Richard A. Eliasberg, by descent; our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of the Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, April 1997, lot 1383; Dr. Gene Sherman, by sale, March 6, 2001; D. Brent Pogue Collection; our (in conjunction with Sotheby's) sale of the D. Brent Pogue Collection, Part I, May 2015, lot 1066. 4 - Browning-5. PCGS Proof-64. Ex our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of the Robinson Collection, January 2003 Rarities Sale, lot 251; Heritage's Long Beach Signature Auction of February 2012, lot 3450. The present example . Although certified as MS-64 by PCGS during its last two auction appearances, the catalogers for both sales stated their opinion that this coin might be a Proof, which status has finally been confirmed by PCGS prior to the current offering. 5 - Browning-5. Proof. National Numismatic Collection, Smithsonian Institution, from the Mint Cabinet, transferred 1923. 6 - Browning-5. Proof. Ex our (Stack's) sale of the Robison Collection, February 1982, lot 1277; our (Stack's) session of Auction '85, July 1985, lot 1662; our (Stack's) 64th Anniversary Sale, October 1999, lot 320.
PCGS# 5366. NGC ID: 27HA.
From the Legacy Collection. Earlier from our (Bowers and Merena's) sale of the Robinson Collection, January 2003 Rarities Sale, lot 251; Heritage's Long Beach Signature Auction of February 2012, lot 3450.

Estimate: $50000