Picked this well traveled beauty recently. Nice coin with some heavy wear. Unfortunately my eyes are not what they used to be and I cannot determine if this is the normal date or the 8 over 5 variety. I see what looks like part of the 5 in the top loop of the 8 and some faint marks on either side of the eight. Could also be my imagination. Any help would be appreciated.
I'm not seeing the overdate, here. Maybe a photo through a loupe or something will yield something more conclusive.
Hi! Yes, it is a nice coin, but a bit too well-worn (which is also how I describe myself) for easy ID. I’ve got Steve Tompkins’s early-quarter book and, based solely on the REVERSE, it is clearly identifiable (at least to myself!) as die pair B-1 (OBV 1, REV B). This is indeed one of the two 8/5 varieties; the other is B-3 (OBV 1, REV C). From Tompkins: “8 over 5 with flag of 5 showing in upper loop of 8”, (barely visible even in his 10+x blowup of the date area of a BU example); “wide date, all numbers wide apart 1st 8 leans left both 1’s defective at lower left serif” If you get bitten bad by the bust quarter bug (I’ve got a terminal case), l warmly recommend the Tompkins book. It’s a large-format, full color, glossy-stock affair which is a pleasure to use. Would even make a nice coffee table book. All the best, Dave S.
@Magnus87 I have gotten the bug for both draped bust quarters and halves. That along with trying to complete my large cent collection has been fun, but my wallet has been screaming at me. LOL. I will see about getting a copy of Tompkin’s book. I am glad to see I was lucky enough to get one of the two 8 over 5 varieties. Thank you for the great info.
I'm no expert on these, but I do see something to the right of the lower loop of the 8, maybe the belly of a 5?
