1796 25C MS(PCGS#5310)

February 2026 Showcase Auction - The James A. Stack, Sr. Collection Part II

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

25058

Grade

VF20

Price

45,600

Lot Description

Tompkins Die Stage 3/1, Rea et al. Die State a. Offered is a lovely circulated example of the historically significant, perennially popular 1796 Draped Bust quarter. Handsome surfaces are dressed in dusky golden-gray patina that is a bit warmer on the reverse, both sides also with outlines of light rose-russet to many of the design elements. The strike is expertly centered on the planchet, the detail impressively and universally bold for the grade in the presence of moderate, yet evenly distributed wear. Smooth in hand and visually appealing, this is a superior 1796 quarter at the certified VF-20 level that is sure to appeal to both type collectors and early quarter specialists.<p>The Draped Bust, Small Eagle design type of 1796 represents the first year of the denomination - the dime of the same general design type also debuted in this year. Only 6,146 examples of this elusive quarter dollar issue were produced. Most of the examples known today are well worn, with many also exhibiting significant impairments such as holes or scratches. Competition is fierce whenever a problem-free and attractive example in a popular collector grade appears at auction, as here.<p>After this initial coinage of quarter dollars, it wasn't until 1804 that the Mint again received orders for this denomination from contemporary bullion depositors. The Spanish colonial 2 reales remained plentiful in U.S. commerce through at least the end of the 1820s, explaining the limited demand for its U.S. Mint alternative in the quarter dollar. By 1804, when production of this denomination resumed to a limited extent, the Small Eagle reverse had been supplanted by the Heraldic or Large Eagle style. The 1796 quarter is recognized as a rarity, and its status as a one-year design appeals to both early quarter specialists and advanced type collectors.<p>The Mint required two obverse dies and one reverse to achieve this mintage, with Browning-1, as offered here, the less frequently encountered by a small margin. This is the Low 6 variety of the issue, so named because the digit 6 in the date is more distant from the bust than on the B-2 High 6 variety.