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 Replies: 14 / Views: 5,734 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5823 Posts |
OK, I think I'm finally getting close to completing my affordable* type set of U.S. proof coins. I'm looking for decent (and affordable) examples of a proof 20 Cent Piece, a proof Liberty Seated dollar, a proof Three-Cent Nickel and a proof Buffalo nickel, and that's about it. I'm hoping to pick up one or two of those this year and then maybe complete the set sometime next year if I'm lucky. Anyway, as I go through my set I noticed that apparently there's no such thing as a proof Standing Liberty quarter and I can't help wondering why not. There were proof Liberty Seated and Barber quarters before this design, and proof Washington quarters afterwards. And then I realized that it was just a matter of bad timing. The Standing Liberty quarter was only made in 1916-1930. Although they made proof Mercury dimes, they were only made between 1936-42. Similarly, they only made proof Buffalo nickels in 1913-1917 and again in 1936-37. Walking Liberty half dollars were also only made between 1936-42. Even Lincoln Cents were only made as proofs in 1909-1917 and then from 1936 to the present. I don't know why they stopped making proofs of any denomination from around 1916-1936, but it looks like the Seated Liberty quarter got the short end of the stick. Pity they couldn't have at least one special year of proofs before they switched over to the Washington design. [*I hate to compromise my goals, but I'm just never going to plop down tens of thousands -- or hundreds of thousands -- of dollars for extreme rarities like a proof Bust Quarter, a proof Flying Eagle cent, a proof Peace dollar, etc. Short of winning the Powerball, of course...] |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4963 Posts |
I suspect it had to do with America's entrance into the war. Although we hadn't yet joined the fight in 1916, Germany announced that it would attack merchant ships bound for Britain, including American ones, in January of the next year, and nationalism had already been taking hold in the states in 1916. And when wars happen, the mint stops minting unnecessary coins like proofs, as they did later in 1942.
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Pillar of the Community
Russian Federation
5172 Posts |
For what it's worth, Coin Facts reports about half as much proof Standing Liberty quarters as proof Peace dollars. Further search indicates that, due to being matte proofs, these coins have never been identified (perhaps they never will be). There is one cleaned example that Walter Breen had mistaken for a proof which sold for $646.25 in 2014, and a few assorted proof strikes of late pre-production patterns that sold at various times for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but no actual proof known specifically. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
589 Posts |
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Quarter. Liberty Standing design. At least two modified versions of regular design exist, in matte proof, without designer's initial M. One of these (badly cleaned) is in the Smithsonion: I saw the other many years ago, kept no record of it for fear of possible involvement in a seizure action, and am now sorry I could not at least obtain a photograph. It is also likely that more than two specimens of the adopted type may exist in matte proof state outside the Smithsonian. Have you looked at yours lately for the M? If it does have the M, check key details of design-drapery at lower belly, eagle's wing and breast feathers, details of inescutcheon on shield, etc. - as well
as striking qualities of head, shield, knee and feet. Extreme sharpness of these usually partly weak areas together with unusually broad rims with sharp inner and outer edges may be reason for having the coin authenticated as a possible matte proof. From the Walter Breen's book of Proof Coins. This Catalog had a sale on complete Proof Set from 1878 to 1916(2 coin only for this year). The owner wanted the set to be sold as a single lot. Sold for just over $100,000 and with inflation adjusted, it would be like half a million in today price.     |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4963 Posts |
 I wish I had a copy of that catalog- those are some amazing proof sets. |
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
The proof type set has a large number of expensive inclusions. Are you attempting a matched grade set or are you searching for a particular look?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5825 Posts |
As mentioned above there were the war years (1917-1918).
Then there was the post-war depression (1920-1921); that's why 1921 coins are semi-keys in most set.
Finally the was the Great Depression starting in 1929; note that it dragged over into the Washington's through 1935.
I guess once the Mint started NOT issuing proof for the SLQ's they just kept not doing it.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5823 Posts |
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The proof type set has a large number of expensive inclusions. Yes, I've noticed!  Quote:
Are you attempting a matched grade set or are you searching for a particular look? Well, as I said up front, I'm going for affordability more than anything. I'd love to shoot for a set of blast white proofs in PR65, but that's just not feasible. Other than affordability, my only other criteria is good eye appeal. I've seen a number of specimens in my price range that just are too dingy for my taste or just don't look particularly proof-like. Wherever possible, I preferred mirrored fields over matte or "satin" proofs. I have a number of PR61 and PR62 examples that have a ton of eye appeal, and I'd rather have those than a PR65 with lesser eye appeal. Here are some examples of my "lesser" grade proofs with terrific eye appeal:    On the other hand, I now have two proof Morgan dollars, one in PR62 and the other in PR63, and the PR63 example is just so much nicer that I'm probably going to try and sell the PR62 example at the next coin show I attend. As proud as I was to get that PR62 in the first place, I have always been a little unsatisfied with the fact that it doesn't have mirrored fields. Here's a side-by-side comparison:   [And yes, the PR63 was significantly more expensive, but sometimes you really do get what you pay for...] |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5823 Posts |
Oh, and thanks to everybody for all the wonderful information about proof Standing Liberty quarters (or the lack thereof). I hadn't even considered the war years and the Great Depression as factors. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3233 Posts |
That's a great question. I love the SLQ design and truly gemlike specimens are beautiful coins. I can only wonder how amazing a deep mirror proof of those might look!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
500 Posts |
Barry thank you again for posting pictures of your beauties! Many of us collectors will not ever see these, even at a coin show so we admire yours tremendously! |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
I believe Roger Burdette turned up information that the mint decided in mid 1916 to discontinue striking proof coins because they were not popular with collectors (the matte proof surfaces were not well liked.) The Standing quarter was not struck into December 1916, well AFTER the decision to stop proofs was made. (Although there have been rumored proof 1917 cents and five cent pieces, none have ever been confirmed.) |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5823 Posts |
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Barry thank you again for posting pictures of your beauties! My pleasure (as always)! |
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Pillar of the Community
1153 Posts |
barry, that 63 morgan is simply gorgeous
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5823 Posts |
Yep! That's why I chose it for my avatar...
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Replies: 14 / Views: 5,734 |
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Posted 02/08/2016 11:29 pm
