1878/6 Gold Quarter - BG-883

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,055 MS66* 02-27-2014 Heritage Auctions

Description

This round California gold quarter dollar, designated BG-883 in the Breen-Gillio catalog, dates to 1878 and measures approximately 10 to 11 millimeters in diameter. The second period of California fractional gold production saw these coins transition from pure monetary instruments to items valued equally by tourists, collectors, and jewelers who fashioned them into ornamental pieces. The obverse features a Liberty Head design — a portrait of Liberty wearing a coronet or wreath — which is the most prevalent motif across the California fractional gold series. The reverse displays the denomination within a wreath or decorative border. The remarkably diminutive size is one of the distinctive hallmarks of California fractional gold coinage, making these among the smallest coins ever struck for genuine commerce and adding a novelty that has long attracted collectors. This variety displays an overdate (1878/6), where a new date was punched over an earlier date already present in the die. Overdates in the California fractional gold series provide evidence of die reuse — a practical economy measure by the private coiners who manufactured these pieces. The traces of the underlying date are typically visible upon close examination, and overdate varieties are sought by specialists for the insight they provide into production practices.

Rarity Notes

Moderately available. While California fractional gold as a class is uncommon by general numismatic standards, Period Two issues are among the more accessible entries in the series. The 1878/6 overdate is a collected variety that typically brings a premium over non-overdate issues of the same year and denomination.

Cross References

BG-883; Breen-Gillio catalog; PCGS #10744; NGC #501883; California Fractional Gold Quarter Dollar; Round; Period Two (1859–1882)