Lot 1803
1897 Barber Quarter Dollar. NGC graded Proof 66 Cameo. Well struck and a blazing whtie gem. From center to periphery the intense flood of silvery luster glows. Smooth mirrors lap against the heavy white frost on the devices like the smooth ripple of a mountain lake caressing the white sand at the shore. Furthermore, keen-edged devices are the rule throughout, including all stars, and all intricate detail in the eagle, shield, and scroll in its beak. Only 731 proofs minted. Pop 12; 11 finer.
While Orville and Wilbur Wright were quietly tinkering away in their shed making gliders, ignored by the distracted public, in 1897 another inventor hit pay dirt and made a big splash that was covered in all the daily newspapers. We are referring to Guglielmo Marconi's demonstration of a practical system for generating and receiving long-range radio signals which sparked interest worldwide. It also resulted in numerous competing experimenters and companies throughout the industrialized world, including a number of important figures in the United States, led by Reginald Fessenden and Lee DeForest.
Estimated Value $2,500 - 3,000.
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