1855 Liberty Head Quarter Eagle--Broadstruck--MS-63 (NGC). In a word, major Mint errors on classic United States gold coins are rare. Only a handful are known across all series and major Mint error types, and expectantly so since the Mints quality control procedures were much stricter for gold coins than they were for silver and, especially, minor coins. The 2010 reference <em>100 Greatest U.S. Error Coins</em> does not feature this specific 1855 quarter eagle, but it does rank a broadstruck 1897 Liberty Head half eagle as #32, the entry for which also pictures a broadstruck 1878-S Liberty Head quarter eagle. Failing to properly seat itself within the collar, the planchet on which this 1855 quarter eagle was struck instead lay atop the collar. The resulting impression from the dies, while imparting full detail to all design elements, caused the planchet to spread out, which is most readily evident as crescents of unstruck planchet along the upper left obverse and lower left reverse. The field areas are semi-reflective in finish and support satiny design elements, both sides dressed in vivid golden-yellow color. It is a further sign of the awesome rarity of this gold coin error that, while the two aforementioned broadstruck pieces in the <em>100 Greatest</em> book date to the later Liberty Head series, this 1855 is from the early, pre-Civil War era portion of the quarter eagle series. Extraordinary rarity and impressive Mint State preservation that is sure to result in spirited competition among advanced Mint error enthusiasts.
