1964 Quarter Pattern - RB-2530, INCO

Coin Details

Description

INCO experimental Washington Quarter cataloged as RB-2530, produced during the 1964 clad coinage research program that would ultimately lead to the Coinage Act of 1965. The apparent gap at RB-2525 (no known specimens) makes RB-2530 the compositional successor to RB-2520 in the surviving record, though the actual testing sequence was more complex. The International Nickel Company's program was producing test strikes at Medallic Art Company's facility in Danbury, Connecticut, where experienced die setters could achieve striking pressures and speeds comparable to those used at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints. This attention to production-realistic conditions was critical: some alloy compositions that produced beautiful coins at slow striking speeds proved prone to die cracking or incomplete fill at the higher speeds necessary for mass production. The RB-2530 composition would have been evaluated at multiple striking pressures to determine its behavior across the range of conditions that production equipment might encounter. These practical considerations — rather than the more glamorous questions of appearance and electromagnetic properties — often determined which compositions advanced through INCO's screening process and which were eliminated.

Rarity Notes

Extremely rare experimental piece. Estimated population of 1-3 examples. Surviving specimens from the RB-25xx range are exceptionally difficult to locate.

Cross References

RB-2530 (Reed-Brenner), NGC ID: 61894