1805 Quarter Pattern - J-C1805-1, Dickeson Fantasy

Coin Details

Description

This is a fantasy piece attributed to Dr. Montroville Wilson Dickeson, the same Philadelphia numismatist-archaeologist who produced the more famous 1792-dated restrike cent (J-C1792-1). Dickeson created this piece by combining the same eagle obverse die used for his 1792 cent restrike — originally an embossing die for revenue paper, not a coinage die — with a rusted obverse die from an authentic 1805 quarter dollar. The result is a muled fantasy that pairs two dies never intended to be used together: a revenue stamp eagle on one side and a Draped Bust Liberty portrait dated 1805 on the other. The Draped Bust side shows the classic Gilbert Stuart-inspired Liberty design by Robert Scot, with flowing hair and drapery, surrounded by stars. The eagle side displays the defiant bird perched on a rock, consistent with Dickeson's other fantasy strikes. Like all Dickeson productions, this piece was created as a numismatic curiosity during the 1850s-1860s, at a time when the boundaries between legitimate numismatic study and creative fabrication were not as sharply defined as they are today. Dickeson apparently acquired discarded Mint dies through informal channels and combined them in inventive ways to produce unique collectibles. This quarter-dated fantasy is considerably rarer than the 1792-dated cent restrike.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare. Significantly fewer known than the J-C1792-1 Dickeson cent restrike. Unique or nearly so.

Cross References

Judd-C1805-1; Pollock-6002