By CoinWeek ….
Classic U.S. commemoratives have been a favorite of coin collectors for generations, but some of the rarer issues are seldom seen at auction. This Sunday, GreatCollections offers just such an opportunity: a toned 1893 Isabella Quarter Proof graded PF66 by NGC.
The 1893 Columbian Exposition Isabella Quarter
The Isabella Quarter, sold at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois, was the second United States commemorative coin ever issued and the only quarter dollar denomination in the classic series (1892-1954). The obverse features a fictional portrait of the Spanish Queen Isabella I, co-ruler with her husband King Ferdinand II and famously the royal patron of explorer Christopher Columbus. The reverse features a kneeling woman holding a distaff of yarn along with the inscription “Board of Lady Managers” – the Board being a group of socialites who worked with the exposition’s managers to promote items of interest to women. Both sides of the coin were designed and engraved by United States Mint Chief Engraver Charles Barber, with George T. Morgan contributing a preliminary sketch for what would become the final reverse.
Forty thousand business strike coins were struck for distribution, along with 23 pieces for assay. Numismatists often quote a mintage of only 103 Proofs (the first 100 coins struck and coin numbers 400, 1492, and 1,892), but researchers have been unable to confirm this or any other number in Mint records. Intriguingly, after almost 40 years of operation, NGC and PCGS report lower populations for the commemorative quarter than expected for a mere 103 Proofs struck toward the end of the 19th century.
The Isabella Quarter Proof is offered infrequently at public auction and can carry a premium – especially in Gem. The specimen offered this week is one of four examples graded Proof 66 by NGC with only one finer. And not only is it in Gem condition but it also features toning on both sides. It is a darker red wine shade closer to the rim on the obverse, though the same color can be seen in the crown and the folds of her robe. Spots of blueberry pepper the area next to and on the rim.
The toning takes on a burnt amber hue on the reverse, encircling the central motif and its light golden tones.
At the time of publication, the highest of 21 bids in GreatCollection’s upcoming auction of this Proof 66 1893 Isabella Quarter was $6,916.
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To search through GreatCollection’s archive of over 600,000 certified coins and notes the company has sold, please visit the GreatCollections Auction Archives.
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