1964 Quarter Pattern - RB-2225, INCO

Coin Details

Description

Experimental Washington Quarter struck in the RB-2225 alloy composition by the International Nickel Company and Medallic Art Company during the 1964 clad coinage research program. This piece continues the systematic evaluation of bonded metal compositions that the RB-22xx sub-series represents. By 1964, the silver crisis had moved beyond a theoretical concern into an operational emergency. The Treasury Department was spending over a billion ounces of silver annually to produce coins while newly mined silver fell far short of that demand. Silver coins were disappearing from circulation as speculators and hoarders recognized that bullion values would soon exceed face values — a classic application of Gresham's Law. President Johnson and Secretary Dillon needed a replacement metal that could be adopted quickly, and INCO's research program was the government's best path to a solution. The RB-2225 composition represents one of the later refinements in the initial RB-22xx series, incorporating lessons learned from testing earlier formulations in the sequence. Each incremental change in the alloy recipe generated new data about the relationship between nickel content, surface color, and electromagnetic behavior, gradually converging on the optimal composition.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare experimental issue. Population in the range of 1-3 specimens. Few RB-2225 examples have been publicly documented.

Cross References

RB-2225 (Reed-Brenner), NGC ID: 61879