Cast Copy 1792 (ca. 19th Century) Eagle on Globe Quarter Dollar. Lead. Judd-12, Pollock-14. About Uncirculated.
30 mm. 224.7 grains. A significant offering that provides access to one of the most exclusive issues from the early U.S. Mint. Pearlescent dove-gray patina dominates the complexion, accented by darker slate hues across the high points. A couple scuffs are noted in the lower right field on the obverse, one of which is more recent than the other. Microscopic porosity is evident across each side, which is an artifact of the casting process itself. Similarly, a distinct seam runs perpendicular to the reeding on the edge, indicating where the molds or shells came together. This piece is an exact replication of the Smithsonian specimen of the copper 1792 Eagle on Globe pattern, also known as the Joseph Wright quarter. Wright may have modeled this pattern after a portrait of his wife, Sarah Vandervoort, who, along with Wright, perished in the yellow fever epidemic that swept through Philadelphia in the late summer of 1793. It is readily identified as a copy of the Smithsonian specimen by depressions in the left obverse field and at Liberty's cheek, along with a distinct raised segment at 1 o'clock that can all be found on the genuine piece. While copies of this type are rare, a few examples have come to market in the last few decades and several are listed by Smith, Orosz, and Augsburger in their essential reference 1792: Birth of a Nation's Coinage (2017). Most recently, an electrotype copy of the Smithsonian specimen realized $13,200 in Heritage's January 2019 sale of the Weinberg Collection, demonstrating the incredible demand from collectors to fill this hole in their sets. The present cast copy represents another significant opportunity, granting ownership of an issue that most collectors will never get to see.
From the Martin Logies Collection. Earlier from our ANA Auction of August 2019, lot 539. Lot tag included.

Estimate: $2000