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1852 Liberty Seated Quarter Dollar - Repunched 52 Digits Obverse
by Greg Johnson
The 1852 quarter is a scarce coin in any grade.
Though it becomes more difficult to find with increasing grade, it is actually
a bit more available than many early P-mints in mint state and less available
in circulated condition. This is presumably because the issue had little time
to circulate prior to the weight change of 1853 at which time most were either
hoarded or melted. The 1852 Philadelphia issue also features a quite rare and
interesting die variety, the 1852/52 repunched date.
The 1852/52 (Briggs 1-A) is a particularly desirable variety for a number of
reasons: 1) it is rare, 2) the repunching is obvious, 3) the date position is
unique so that attribution is clear even for low grade coins, and 4) the only
two known proofs were struck from the same dies as the 1852/52 business strike
coins. In addition to the obviously repunched numerals, attribution of the 1852/52
is determined by noting that the right side of the one lines up with shield
lines 6/7 as opposed to the only other obverse die which has a date further
to the left (right side of 1 lines up with shield line 5).
Though one of only two known die pairs, the 1852/52
represents only about 10% to 15% of all 1852 quarters. The 1852/52 accounted
for 2 of 21 examples reported in the 1993 LSCC survey and 10 of 46 examples
in the 2007 survey. A study of 40 recent sales of 1852 quarters in the Heritage
Auction archive revealed six examples (including the proof coin sold as part
of the Kaufman set in 2008 - Heritage ANA 8/2008:1823 at $138,000, ex. Pittman).
There are also two known examples of the 1852/52 quarter with significant die
rotation. One specimen, discovered prior to publication of The Comprehensive
Encyclopedia of United States Liberty Seated Quarters (1991), has a 90 degree
rotation. Another example discovered more recently has a rotation of about 45
degrees.