1964 Quarter Pattern - RB-2510, INCO

Coin Details

Description

An INCO experimental Washington Quarter designated RB-2510 in the Reed-Brenner classification, produced during the critical 1964 period when the United States government was preparing for the largest change in coinage composition since the California Gold Rush-era introduction of small-diameter gold dollars. The silver crisis of the early 1960s was not merely an American problem — rising industrial demand for silver, driven by the photographic and electronics industries, was affecting coinage systems worldwide. Several nations were watching the American experience closely, and the composition ultimately adopted by the United States would influence coinage decisions in Canada, Australia, and throughout Western Europe. INCO's test program thus had global implications far beyond the immediate needs of the US Mint. The RB-2510 composition is part of the intensive RB-25xx investigation that tested sixteen closely related formulations, varying a single parameter in small increments to map the relationship between that variable and the coin's performance characteristics. This kind of fine-grained parametric study was characteristic of INCO's engineering approach and explains why the RB-25xx sub-series contains twice as many entries as either of its predecessors in the RB-2xxx family.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare experimental issue. Population be 1-3 specimens. The majority of INCO test strikes were destroyed after evaluation.

Cross References

RB-2510 (Reed-Brenner), NGC ID: 61891