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 Replies: 18 / Views: 1,404 |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1682 Posts |
Hi folks, A friend in Scotland asked my thoughts about this 1875 Liberty Seated quarter. I suggested that we post some pics here before he decides to buy it.    Does the coin look okay since to me the surface of the coin appears to be too pristine? The listing price is £100 and looks like the seller might take £90 for it. What do you folks out there think? |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11880 Posts |
This coin looks like one of the 700 proofs issued that year. These are worth about $1,000 on average if genuine. £100 seems like a bargain. Weight standard was 6.25g and this coin appears to be within Weight Tolerance. I also own that same scale.  IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.comEdited by numismatic student
10/29/2025 8:39 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1653 Posts |
That's a ridiculous price for that coin.
That's an XF45 price for what looks to be a proof.
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
10478 Posts |
It just doesn't have the patina of a 150 year old proof coin with natural surfaces. If a proof it looks to have been cleaned somehow. JMO
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11880 Posts |
It's not the patina but the superb strike that indicates that this is a proof coin.
IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.com |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10478 Posts |
Quote:
It's not the patina but the superb strike that indicates that this is a proof coin. Not worried about it being proof - more of an issue that it looks cleaned because there is no patina. Maybe over dipped - the coin looks lifeless. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3622 Posts |
I hesitate some on this being a proof. There are two 1875 proof die pair. The first proof die pair (Briggs 4E) has an obverse die with a very low date, slanting downward to the right. The date here is higher than that. That obverse die only shows centrils in stars 12 and 13, and has recut "7" and "5" in the date. This obverse die doesn't show centrils in stars 12 and 13, but has clear centrils in stars 5, 6, and 7. The photo isn't clear enough to see the detail in the date. That die pair's reverse die has an E-W die scratch near the middle of the eagle's right wing (our visual left). I see a scratch near that location on this coin, but I can't tell whether it is from contact or is a die scratch. The second proof die pair (Briggs 5F) has a high date sloping upward from left to right, with all of the stars sharp and showing centrils. This obverse lacks centrils on stars 1, 2, and 10-13, and has weak centrils on stars 3, 4, and 8. That proof is paired with an 1872 proof reverse die (listed as reverse C in 1872). That reverse has a distinctive gouge on the left side of the lower shield, extending into the first open space and a die chip in the upper shield above the fourth cluster of vertical lines. I don't see either of those markers on this coin. On the other hand, I see some indications that could match business strike with die pair Briggs 3C. That obverse die has a mid-level date sloping downward from left to right, with centrils only on stars 5, 6, and 7. This coin has a date in that general position, and sharp centrils 5, 6, and 7. However, this coin also has some visible portions of the centrils in stars 3, 4, and 8. The reverse die C paired with that obverse has recut verticals on the shield (which one of the proof dies also has), and has a "die lump" on the eagle's upper left wing in line with the lower right leg of the first "A" in AMERICA. I think I can see that "die lump," but I'm not sure. The photo isn't clear enough to be sure, but again, I think I see recutting on the verticals in the shield. Quite a few of the 1875 business strike quarters are well struck, are semi-prooflike or prooflike, and can even have partial cameos. I'm tentative on this. It may be a proof, but I am leaning toward it being a nice early example of a Briggs 3C business strike. Here are the links to the online version of Briggs' guide for the 1875 quarter and the 1872 quarter (to see the proof reverse markers for the 1875 5F proof). Don't let the URL reference to " Seated dime Varieties" throw you. That site has the links to the Seated quarter volumes as well, and that's what I linked here. Sharper and better cropped photos would help. Edited by fortcollins
10/30/2025 1:37 pm
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Moderator
United States
94765 Posts |
That is quite a complete analysis fortcollins  |
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Moderator
United States
187671 Posts |
Very interesting coin and discussion!  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United Kingdom
1682 Posts |
Thanks everyone for the input, I have pointed them to look at your posts here. I am not sure if they can get better pics since it is a listing on ebay. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1682 Posts |
My friend went ahead and purchased the coin. I asked when they have in had in hand that they send me some better pictures for us to look at.
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Moderator
United States
187671 Posts |
Quote:
My friend went ahead and purchased the coin. I asked when they have in had in hand that they send me some better pictures for us to look at. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1682 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1653 Posts |
I wouldn't have spent £100 on the coin based on the second set of photos alone.
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Valued Member
United States
456 Posts |
A&R Why not? Looks MS or AU58 to me. "Dirt" around stars and in shield lines suggests it hasn't been dipped. Do you see something I don't? Slightly flattened hair above forehead could be strike weakness. I see no other hint of wear in the usual places. If TPG graded at MS63 it would be worth over $500 and I would be willing to use it to fill the 1875 hole on my SLQ collection. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6381 Posts |
Those dark halos around the stars and date pretty unattractive. Doesn't look like dirt; more like residue from dip that wasn't washed off. AU detail for sure but definitely a problem coin. The price was appropriately low.
As Sharkman suggests, this coin might fit well in an album.
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Replies: 18 / Views: 1,404 |
Posted 10/29/2025 10:31 pm
