San Francisco Sunday: 1855-S Proof Seated Liberty Quarter NGC PF64, Possibly The First SF Quarter

1855-S Seated Liberty quarter, PF64, Unique Branch Mint Proof, A Numismatic Masterpiece Believed To Be the First San Francisco Mint Quarter

1855-S 25C Arrows PF64 NGC. CAC. Ex: Golden Gate Collection. A provenance dating back to the time of issue heightens the historical importance of this numismatic masterpiece, the unique proof 1855-S quarter dollar, believed to be the first quarter dollar minted in San Francisco. Nearly everyone who has handled this specimen has stated that it is unique, and indeed, it appears to be a one-of-a-kind item. This is only its seventh auction appearance since 1886, and it is believed to be the piece that San Francisco Mint Superintendent Robert Aiken Birdsall preserved in 1855.



Every aspect of the strike is full, save for slight weakness on some border dentils. Liberty's head and foot are both complete, with bold horizontal and vertical shield lines on the obverse. Similarly, the reverse has complete details throughout, including sharp claws and bold feather details. The surfaces are light ivory with splashes of delicate gold and pale blue toning. Both sides are nicely mirrored with satiny devices and reflective fields. Those fields are less deeply mirrored than on Philadelphia proofs, but far beyond any accidental creation through mere die polishing. The fields and devices meet crisply and concisely, without any blurring or merging of the details. Representing the Briggs 1-A die marriage, both dies are new with no signs of deterioration, further supporting the "first quarter dollar minted" tradition.

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