1901-O Barber Quarter. MS-66+ (PCGS). Possessing the superior technical quality and extraordinary eye appeal that bidders have come to expect from the Pogue Collection, this is a gorgeous Barber quarter that ranks among the finest certified for the 1901-O issue. Both sides exhibit bulls-eye toning that passes through antique gold, cobalt blue and reddish-rose before yielding to brilliance in the centers. The luster is smooth and frosty, and the surfaces are very close to a Superb Gem grade. Sharply struck in most areas, and virtually full in this regard, it is difficult for us to imagine a more desirable example of this issue.Although overshadowed by the fabled 1901-S, the New Orleans Mints issue of that year is legitimately scarce in its own right. The mintage of 1,612,000 pieces circulated heavily and Mint State survivors are elusive in all grades. Gems, as here, are of the utmost rarity. From Heritages FUN Signature Sale of January 2005, lot 4128.
