This is a remarkable illustration of how a previously used die was kept on hand at the Mint for a period of six years and was again pressed into service in spite of its error. - Q. David BowersBeautifully and delicately toned, this specimen shows olive gray with gold on the obverse, while the reverse is more boisterously toned with peripheral shades of bright blue and violet. Fine cartwheel luster is apparent on both sides, the reverse perhaps a bit bolder than the obverse. The distinctive die error is plain to see, made by an inattentive engraver at the beginning of the 1820s, put into use for 1822 Browning-2, then shelved until it was married to Obverse 1 of 1828 and used again to create B-3. This specimen is mostly very well struck, showing just minor softness on the eagles head, the talons, and the banner at PLU. Some obverse hairlines are noted but not of great consequence to the excellent visual appeal.A fascinating major variety, less famous than the 1822 25/50C reverse even though it uses the same reverse die, this is the rarest die marriage among the quarters of 1828. While the 1822 25/50C variety has always had prime placement on lists of the rarest early quarters, the 1828 version remains underappreciated despite similar rarity, perhaps because of its placement at the end of the Large Planchet Capped Bust series. No finer PCGS-graded specimen of this variety has ever sold. The Newman coin is the only finer example extant, while the Norweb coin is tied with this one. As noted in the 1980 Garrett sale, this is a truly superb early quarter, one of the very finest 1828 quarters of any variety, anywhere.
