Capped Bust Seated Quarter Major Variety Set, Business Strikes

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Capped Bust Quarters open registry, as explained on the main registry page, is an opportunity to showcase both certified and uncertified circulated (and uncirculated) dimes. The purpose of the registry is simply for enjoyment and to promote the awareness of bust coinage. Though there is sure to be good natured competition, there are no awards, luncheons, or parades – just an opportunity to share the additions to your capped bust dimes set.

A set of Capped Bust Quarters complete by Major Variety is no easy task even though it is 24 coins. It includes an R6, a pair of R5s. The reference book used to attribute them Early Quarters of the United States Mint 1796-1838 by Rory R. Rea, Dr. Glenn Peterson, Bradley S. Karoleff and John J. Kovach Jr. It was published in 2010 by Rory Rea and is still available. Their 388 page book is in stunning color, it gives a very pleasing picture of every variety obverse and reverse and many times that for rarer die marriages. This book covers earlier quarters too, but this is beyond the scope of Capped Bust Quarters. The authors describe E & L counterstamps, errors, counterfeits and love tokens. Their quick finding charts are very helpful in determining the correct variety number for any date and include the R code for all varieties of one year on a single page. Among those who contributed to this book are well known names too - Russ Logan, John W. McCloskey, Jules Reiver and Steve Tompkins. A special mention is made to Kirk Gorman who may coauthor a new book on bust dimes in the future. Although I have a 1981 reprint of Ard W. Browning's 1925 book on The Early Quarter Dollars of the United States, I feel that it takes special skill and determination to attribute quarters with this document.

Capped Bust Quarters came in two sizes - large size and small size. The small size started in 1831 with a "smaller thicker planchet, raised border and new portrait." The small size is the identical diameter still in use today. The John Reich design was used as the Mint resumed coining quarters after a hiatus of 8 years. Apparently, "the need for U.S. quarters is mitigated by the availability of Spanish Colonial 2 Real pieces from the Mexican, Central and South American Mints" with this denomination arriving from Mexico, Central and South American mints - particularly through New Orleans and the eastern seaboard. Assuredly the Bust quarters carry with them quite a story.

John Okerson, July 14, 2014

The Capped Bust Half Dime Major Variety Set, Business Strikes input form is available in Excel format. Submitting a set is as easy as opening this link, adding your coins and descriptions and submitting to Gerry Fortin via email at Wuximems@hotmail.com. Click here for Microsoft Excel Form; you can use the input form as a tracking method for contents of your collection.

Please email your completed form to wuximems@hotmail.com and I will do my best to quickly post your set or recent updates!

Capped Bust Quarters - Major Varieties Set, Business Strikes

Excel Submission Form

Collections	% Completion	Weighted Grade	Rating		Updated
The John Okerson Collection	37%	22.8	7.1		July 18, 2014
Template

Definitions

% Completion: Number of coin entries divided by total entries requirement to complete a set; for Major Variety Set, Business Strikes, then 24 entries are required for a 100% completion.

Set Weighted Grade: The grade of each coin is multiplied by the "rarity factor", then summed and divided by the total of the "rarity factors" for those coin entries in the set.

Set Rating: The grade of each coin is mutiplied by the "rarity factor", then summed and divided by the total of all "rarity factors" for a completed set.

Rarity Factor: Rarity factor using William Herbert Sheldon's scale released in 1958 is applied to the numerical grade of the coin. While being developed for the one cent coins which he studied, the scale has been used for defining the rarity of all coins. These R values are initially used as the Weight factor for Capped Bust Half Dimes to determine Set Rating and Set Weighted Grade.

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