1865 Quarter Error List with Pictures

Three small features share one impressive auction history. An 1865 quarter with a reworked date, date-area bumps, and recut back lettering brought $41,125 in June 2014.

This 1865 quarter errors guide follows those features around the same Philadelphia die pairing, known as Briggs 1-A. Estimated whole-coin values span $250–$45,000, from worn pieces to exceptional survivors.

Use the close-up checks below to find each detail, then consider the coin’s condition as a whole.

1. 1865 Liberty Seated Quarter Large 1 over Small 1

The first digit in the date contains parts of two differently sized 1s. A larger numeral was punched over a smaller one in the die, the tool that stamps the coin.

The earlier 1’s small top projection appears on the left. Its stem and bottom show on the right of the final digit.

This is a repunched date, not evidence that the coin was made in a different year. The same numeral was replaced rather than changed.

The documented Briggs 1-A example is a Philadelphia quarter made for circulation, not a specially prepared collector Proof.

Estimated Value

PCGS records the Gardner example at $41,125 in June 2014. It was auctioned as PCGS MS66, meaning exceptional preservation without circulation wear.

An estimated $250–$45,000 covers worn through outstanding examples of the die pairing. The high auction result also reflects the coin’s surface quality and rarity in that condition.

The tiny extra numeral does not by itself explain the entire price. A worn piece should be compared with similarly worn quarters.

How to Identify

Enlarge the 1 while keeping enough of the date visible to show its orientation. First inspect the small projection at the upper left of the final digit.

With a 10× magnifier, follow the opposite side downward. Look for the earlier stem and base on the right, rather than stopping after finding one stray mark.

These remnants should agree with a close-up of Briggs 1-A. Rotate the lamp to distinguish raised outlines from cuts, reflections, or dirt caught next to the numeral.

Check the whole coin’s identity before naming the variety. The documented example has the Philadelphia circulation design, with no mintmark and no motto above the eagle.

The left-hand top and right-hand stem belong together as parts of the smaller 1.

 

2. 1865 Liberty Seated Quarter Raised Chips around the Date

A rounded blob between the 6 and 5 can be easier to notice than the reworked 1. Another raised feature fills the inner opening of the 5.

Small pieces broke from the stamping tool, leaving spaces that filled with silver during striking. The resulting bumps are called die chips.

Heritage described both features on the same Briggs 1-A quarter discussed above. The rounded piece connects the 6 and 5 rather than sitting somewhere else in the date.

These interior bumps are not cuds. A cud is a larger tool break that reaches the coin’s rim.

Estimated Value

The date chips belong to the same auctioned coin as the repunched 1. Their presence does not create a second sale result or a separate amount to add to its value.

For a matching Briggs 1-A quarter, use the whole-coin estimate of $250–$45,000, depending on preservation. A small bump on a worn date does not make that coin equivalent to the exceptional MS66.

Clear original metal and an undamaged date make the comparison more useful.

How to Identify

Start with the gap between 6 and 5 and check whether a rounded mass actually joins the two digits. Dirt lying between them can look similar in a dark photograph, so move the light instead of touching the surface.

Next inspect the opening within the 5 under a magnifier, looking for raised metal that follows the published example. Compare its surface with the adjacent numeral for signs of attached material or later pressure damage.

Keep both date features in one photograph and retain a separate full-coin view for identification. The useful match is the filled opening plus the rounded bridge between 6 and 5, not an isolated bump of any shape.

 

3. 1865 Liberty Seated Quarter Recut QUAR DOL Lettering

The abbreviated denomination QUAR DOL appears beneath the eagle. On the documented quarter, these letters show signs that their outlines were worked again in the stamping tool.

This feature is described as recutting. It concerns changes to lettering before the coin was struck, rather than a scratch cut into a finished coin.

The same auction description records the large 1 over a smaller 1 and the date-area chips on the front. The front and back therefore provide complementary details for the Briggs 1-A pairing.

The description does not give a separate direction for each reworked letter.

Estimated Value

Estimate $250–$45,000 for the complete Briggs 1-A quarter with this feature, across worn through exceptionally preserved pieces. Recut lettering helps identify the coin, while overall condition accounts for the wide spread.

The Gardner example’s price includes this reverse as well as the front features. It should be counted once when comparing sales.

Fine letter edges can be obscured by wear or cleaning. A matching reverse on a heavily handled coin does not carry the finest survivor’s value.

How to Identify

Read QUAR DOL across the bottom of the reverse before choosing a close-up. Its complete position under the eagle helps avoid confusing this quarter with another denomination.

Use a magnifier to compare the individual letter edges with the documented Briggs 1-A example. Do not treat every thick stroke as recutting, especially where wear has softened the surrounding detail.

A fresh cut may show a sharp groove or pushed-up metal. Earlier tool work should appear as part of the original struck lettering.

Finally compare the date on the same coin with the front features described above. The reworked letters and the matching date together provide a stronger identification than an enlarged letter viewed alone.

 

Conclusion

The large 1 over a smaller 1, the raised date-area bumps, and the reworked QUAR DOL lettering can occur together. They identify different aspects of the same Briggs 1-A coin.

Estimated whole-coin values range from $250–$45,000, with exceptional preservation explaining the highest prices. Examine the three locations without cleaning their small recesses, and compare a candidate’s overall condition before using the famous auction result.