Over-date. -- A coin showing a date over a previous one. — Ebenezer L. Mason, Jr., 1870This colorfully-toned gem has an august provenance. Peripheries ringed in gold and speckled in amber yield to concentric circles of sea green, pastel blue, subtle magenta, and blue-gray, showing nearly identical toning on obverse and reverse. The cartwheel luster is strong, as is the aesthetic appeal. The peripheries show exceptional sharpness, with the stars and denticles each well realized, but some localized softness is present on central devices, in particular atop the eagles head and on the curl above Libertys eye. The fields are free of notable marks or lines, and magnification finds just a few of the most trivial contact points in the reverse fields. The overdate is easily seen, with the details clear under a glass. Perfect dies, the earliest die state.Overdate varieties like the 1818/5 quarter have been popular for as long as collectors have recognized variations between different dies. This die was likely made in 1815 but went unneeded and unused before the year ended. The next order for quarter dollars didnt come until 1818, and simply tapping an 8 punch over the final digit was far more convenient and economical than creating an entirely new die.This memorable coin is distinctive in appearance and nearly perfectly preserved. David W. Akers commented that not only is [this coin] the finest 1818/5 quarter that I have ever seen, it is also one of the highest quality and most beautiful Capped Bust Quarters of any date known to me ... this coin is so outstanding that I think it likely that most viewers will consider it to be one of the most beautiful early Mint State coins in the entire Pittman Collection. In a collection as defined by superlative early Mint State coins as the D. Brent Pogue Collection, it may be difficult to make such a statement, but just being present here means decades of potential opportunities were weighed before settling on this exact specimen as offering the right balance of aesthetic appeal and technical grade. The Rea-Koenings-Hartounian census places this coin as third finest known of the variety, though its strike and eye appeal are better than at least one of the pieces ranked higher.
