1854 Liberty Seated Quarter. Arrows. Briggs 2-B. MS-67 (PCGS). Halos of peripheral reddish-gold and cobalt blue iridescence frame lighter pinkish-silver centers on both sides of this beautiful quarter. The frosty surfaces are as nice as would be expected at the Superb Gem level and, in fact, are close to pristine. Fully struck throughout the design, this is certainly one of the most desirable Liberty Seated quarters of the brief Arrows, No Motto design type available.The removal of the rays from the reverse of the quarter allowed for longer die life, but even so several dozen dies would still have been required to produce the 12,380,000 quarters that came off the Philadelphia Mints presses. The drop in production from 1853 was the start of a trend. As more and more old tenor silver coins were turned into bullion and recoined into the new pieces, the need for more coins dropped accordingly. The following year, just under three million quarters were struck at Philadelphia, while the production at New Orleans dropped to one-tenth of its mintage in 1854. Even the introductory mintage from the still new San Francisco Mint was not substantial.For numismatists, the 1854 Philadelphia issue is far more available in high grades than the 1854-O and all three 1855 issues, making it especially desirable for a type set. Today, <em>PCGS CoinFacts</em> estimates that some 400 examples of the 1854 Arrows quarter in Mint State remain. Demand for the 1854 quarter is perennially strong as quarter specialists, aficionados of the Liberty Seated design, and advanced type collectors all vie for the small pool of coins at the very upper echelons, especially above the Gem level. Neither of the two certification services has graded a single coin above MS-67 and the population figures no doubt reflect resubmissions hoping to break through that barrier. That the Pogue Collection contains two at this astonishing grade is an achievement few, if any, other numismatists can claim.
