The Engraver has been ordered to execute new dies, omitting the motto ... -- Mint Director Samuel Moore to Secretary of the Treasury Levi Woodbury, July 9, 1834.Magnificent satiny luster exudes from both surfaces, the obverse dually enriched by cartwheel and light reflectivity. The yellow gold color is an ideal shade, enlivened by pale dapplings of light blue, largely confined to the periphery on the reverse. The strike is far sharper than usual for this type, with good detail even on the usually amorphous brow and ear curls. The aesthetic impact is excellent, finer than even the grade would suggest, with a superb lively appearance and very few disturbances. Two tiny nicks inside of star 11 are seen, along with a scattering of meaningless short lines, but none attracts the eye. A tiny raised speck between the base of U of UNITED and the nearest olive leaf is little more than a beauty mark that indicates originality.Though neither of the major new tenor 1834 quarter eagle types may be considered rare in most grades, this is the less commonly encountered of the two. Both, of course, are very rare in gem Mint State, and two other die varieties using this obverse are elusive and sought out by specialists. Breen called this variety the Large Head, but it is also referred to as the "Booby Head," "this ... sobriquet apparently being awarded it by John H. Clapp," according to Breen. Engraver William Kneass is the likely author of the device hubs for both obverse dies, purposefully made with a design that could be readily distinguished from the pieces old tenor type. The motto "E Pluribus Unum" was omitted from the reverse for the same purpose. Some discussions were held within the Treasury Department in the summer of 1834 proposing to modify the designs by adding the start date of the new coinage, August 1, 1834. While the suggestion was never executed, North Carolina minter Christopher Bechtler followed developments in gold coinage carefully, adding "August 1, 1834" to certain of his issues struck after that date and reducing their weight in keeping with the federal standards.As the new gold issues were eagerly sought by the general public, few remained in top grade. Even though coins in lower Mint State grades regularly transact among collectors today, true gems almost never do. No example of this date graded finer than MS-65 (PCGS) has ever sold at auction..
