Gill exp[ress] to Mr. Madisons .25 — Thomas Jeffersons Memorandum Books, September 25, 1824This is the second finest known example of the date, struck from the only die marriage of the year. All are overdates. Smooth, satiny luster careens across lively surfaces, toned in a melange of rose and pale blue framed in champagne gold. An area of deeper toning is present in a crescent inside the obverse rim at the bust truncation and around star 3. Nicely struck with just a bit of weakness on the cap and talons; all stars but stars 6 and 7 show their centers. Excellent technical quality for the grade, showing only a scant few scattered hairlines of trivial consequence and a minor defect under D of UNITED. Traces of adjustment lines are present in the area between the center of the reverse banner and the eagles head.
A beautiful and highly desirable early quarter, outpaced by only the marvelous Eliasberg gem.Thomas Jefferson may have given a quarter like this one to Gill, an enslaved African-American at Monticello, for the favor of carrying an express letter to James Madison on September 25, 1824. Though Jeffersons slaves typically worked without pay, he occasionally tipped in coins for doing particularly onerous or unpleasant tasks.
The round trip from Monticello to Madisons home at Montpelier would have been 50 miles on horseback over country roads. Gill was undoubtedly carrying Jeffersons letter of September 24, 1824, which reminded Madison Charlottesville is preparing for LaFayette. As he will see you at your own house, we shall hope you will come here with him. Jeffersons retained copy of the letter remains at the Library of Congress. Lafayette arrived in Charlottesville, Virginia, on time in the first week of November. His trip took Lafayette to every state in the Union over the course of a year, where he was honored at every stop. His departure in September 1825, followed by the death of Jefferson and John Adams on July 4, 1826, marked the passing of the Revolutionary generation in the minds of many Americans.The 1824/2 die variety is an interesting one, using an obverse that was prepared but not used in 1822 and a reverse that was previously used for the very rare 1823/2 and used again, later, for both 1825 Browning-1 and 1828 Browning-2.
This is the only die variety of the year, from which an estimated 16,000 coins were struck. Just three Mint State coins are confirmed to survive, in addition to a single Proof striking. The Eliasberg coin, considered finest known, is graded MS-65 by NGC but has not been considered at PCGS. This issue is a requisite for anyone assembling a collection of early quarters by date. The offered example is unsurpassed at PCGS and rich with the history of this fascinating era.
