1984 Proof Washington Quarter - X-301b, Squared Quarter

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,800 PR67 10-02-2023 Heritage Auctions

Description

This is the half-ounce .999 fine silver edition of the Squared Quarter, the larger and heavier of the two silver variants produced by Andor Orand's Square Deal Productions, Inc. Like all Squared Quarters, this piece transforms the round Washington quarter design into a square format with sharp corners and reeded edges, created through computer-aided design and struck by the Medallic Art Company in Danbury, Connecticut. The half-ounce version is distinguished from the quarter-ounce X-301a by its greater weight and thicker profile, giving it a more substantial feel. The design itself is identical across all silver variants: the obverse presents a mathematically squared version of John Flanagan's 1932 Washington portrait with "LIBERTY" and "IN GOD WE TRUST," while the reverse shows a similarly squared heraldic eagle with "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "QUARTER DOLLAR." The half-ounce edition was priced at $47 when originally sold, a significant premium over the prevailing silver spot price of $5 to $11 per ounce during the 1982-1984 production period. This higher price point resulted in a smaller mintage than the quarter-ounce version. Square Deal Productions was dissolved at the end of 1984, making these pieces a finite production from a single creative enterprise. In 1988, the original dies, lead die trials, and sample pieces were donated to the Smithsonian Institution's National Numismatic Collection.

Rarity Notes

Limited mintage of 602 pieces in half-ounce .999 fine silver. Scarcer than the X-301a quarter-ounce version. High-grade proof examples command a premium at auction.

Cross References

X-301b (Krause Unusual World Coins); related to X-301, X-301a, X-301c, X-301d, X-301e variants