1835 Classic Head Quarter Eagle. HM-2. Rarity-3. Wide A M. MS-64 (PCGS). <strong>Die Variety:</strong> HM-2. Obverse 1: The Mint used only a single obverse die to strike all 1835 quarter eagles. Repunching is evident at the letter I in LIBERTY and, to a lesser extent, the letters R and Y. Reverse B: Easily attributed, this die exhibits unusually wide spacing between the letters AM in AMERICA. This reverse appears not only in the 1835 HM-2 pairing, but also in the 1834 HM-2 and two attributions of the 1836 issue.<p><strong>Die Emission Sequence: </strong>This is the second variety of 1835 quarter eagle produced, all examples of which are believed to have been struck in that year.<p><strong>Die State: </strong>Virtually all known 1835 HM-2 quarter eagles were struck from a cracked obverse die. On the offered coin, a light crack begins at star 6 and extends into the hair curls before Libertys ear. A second, fainter crack originates where the first terminates and extends up through the letter E in LIBERTY toward star 8.<p><strong>Estimated Surviving Population for the Variety:</strong> 475 coins in all grades (per Daryl J. Haynor, 2020), or 87% of extant 1835 Classic Head quarter eagles.<p><strong>Strike: </strong>Since all 1835 quarter eagles are softly struck in the centers, the Mint seems to have spaced each of the three die pairings too far apart in the press, resulting in insufficient metal flow to the deepest recesses of the design elements. The present example shows characteristic bluntness over and around Libertys ear in the center of the obverse. On the other hand, the shield exhibits only minimal softness at the upper left, with the adjacent feathers in the eagles right wing also a tad soft. The remaining features on both sides are sharply to fully rendered.<p><strong>Surfaces: </strong>Beautiful surfaces are drenched in vivid olive-orange color with a few blushes of iridescent powder blue and pale rose that are most pronounced as soft outlines to the eagle. A prooflike finish is bolder on the obverse, although reflectivity is plainly evident in the fields on both sides. None of the grade defining marks are worthy of undue concern, and we leave it to a small, shallow planchet void (as made) in the obverse field between stars 2 and 3 to serve as a useful provenance marker.<p><strong>Commentary: </strong>A scarce issue in all Mint State grades, the 1835 is rarer at this level that the lower mintage 1834 and was obviously not saved to the same extent as its first year counterpart. This extraordinary near-Gem ranks high in the Condition Census for the issue. Daryl J. Haynor (2020) ranks it as #3 in his list of finest known examples of the date and addresses it specifically when he writes, "The finest known 1835 HM-2 quarter eagle is graded PCGS MS64, and resides in the authors collection." Only one other PCGS MS-64 has been confirmed for this die pairing. A beautiful specimen, remarkable quality overall, and a perfect choice for an advanced type set or another world class cabinet of Classic Head gold coinage. PCGS# 764693. NGC ID: 25FT. PCGS Population (all die varieties of the issue): 3; 2 finer (MS-65+ finest). From the Daryl J. Haynor Virginian Collection. Earlier from our (American Numismatic Rarities) Richard Jewell Collection sale, March 2005, lot 542; Superiors Pre-Long Beach Elite Coin Auction of May 2006, lot 996; Heritages sale of the Charleston Collection, June 2008 Summer FUN Signature Auction, lot 1800. The plate coin for the 1835 HM-2 die pairing in the 2020 Haynor reference on Classic Gold coinage.
