(1965) Quarter Pattern - P-5380, INCO

Coin Details

Description

An INCO experimental clad quarter cataloged under the Pollock numbering system as P-5380, distinct from the Research Blank (RB) series that accounts for most of the INCO test pieces. The Pollock designation indicates that this piece was recognized and cataloged as a distinct pattern variety by Andrew W. Pollock III in his comprehensive reference work on United States patterns, experimental, and trial pieces. P-5380 was produced as part of the same 1965 second-phase testing program that generated the RB-4100 series quarters, but its separate Pollock catalog number indicates it may differ in a significant way from the RB-numbered pieces — in composition, provenance, or the circumstances of its production. Struck on Washington quarter dies at the Medallic Art Company, P-5380 is an experimental clad composition test piece that helped validate the copper-nickel clad technology adopted for American coinage under the Coinage Act of 1965. The existence of both RB and Pollock numbers for INCO experimental pieces reflects the evolving cataloging systems that numismatists have applied to these technologically important but historically obscure patterns over the decades since their production.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. Extremely rare. Pollock-cataloged INCO pieces may be slightly better documented than RB-only entries due to their inclusion in the standard pattern reference literature.

Cross References

Pollock P-5380 (INCO experimental series)