Lot 984
1796 Draped Bust Quarter Dollar. . B-2. NGC graded MS-61. A decent strike on a problem-free planchet. Deeply toned exhibiting mottled gun-metal blue and natural greenish hues. Identifiable by a short hairline barely visible next to the L in LIBERTY. Popular first year of the denomination and an important one-year Type coin.
Robert Scot designed the Draped Bust facing right motif. Included are eight stars behind, seven in front of Liberty, for a total of 15 (the only star count seen on the quarter dollar this year, unlike several other denominations of this design where 15 or 16 stars are found). LIBERTY is above, the date 1796 is below. On the reverse a Small Eagle (so called), is within by a wreath of laurel and of palm, the two halves tied with a bow at the bottom. The dentils are long, finger-like and prominent on both sides, a feature that always leaves a nice impression on the viewer. There is no mark of value unlike halves and silver dollars which have it on the edge of the coin. The edge is reeded instead, to discourage coin-shavers. Always in great demand. Pop 4; 22 better.
Die characteristics: The mintage of 1796 quarters, small as it was, is split between two obverse die varieties, identified the numeral 6 in the date. The present coin is from the more plentiful Browning-2 obverse design, characterized by the high 6 in the date. Tompkins notes in his book on the bust quarter series that the B-2 variety appears at auction approximately three times more often than the B-1.
Estimated Value $60,000 - 65,000.
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