1878 Liberty Seated Quarter. Briggs 2-B. MS-67 (PCGS). This extraordinary Superb Gem - the finest circulation strike 1878 quarter graded by PCGS and NGC - is making its first appearance at auction since 1968. In June of that year it was offered as lot 346 in Lester Merkins sale, where it was cataloged as:<p><em>"1878. Early strike from dies retaining polish; golden, blue, green and reddish brown tone. Directly from the mint, in a set with the dime and half dollar elsewhere offered."</em><p>Your cataloger has already described the half dollar in this special set, which is also being offered in this sale. The quarter highlighted in the present lot is as described by Merkin, beautifully and originally toned over satiny surfaces that reveal modest hints of semi-reflectivity in the fields. Silky smooth and bordering on numismatic perfection, this coin would do equally well in a high quality type set or the finest collection of Liberty Seated quarters.<p>In 1878, 2,260,000 Liberty Seated quarters were struck at the Philadelphia Mint. Beginning in 1879 and continuing through 1890 the Philadelphia Mint would deliver few circulation strikes as the Treasury Department distributed huge quantities of older quarters that had been hoarded during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. The 1878 is an underrated issue, being far scarcer in Mint State than many of the low mintage deliveries of the 1879 to 1890 era. At the Superb Gem level the issue is a noteworthy condition rarity, and this PCGS MS-67 is the absolute finest obtainable by todays numismatists. Ex Philadelphia Mint, obtained in the year of issue; Lester Merkins sale of June 1968, lot 303. Lot tag included.
