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

Coin Details

Description

This is the brass variant of the Squared Quarter, designated X-301e in the standard catalog. Krause's Unusual World Coins, as cited by the American Numismatic Society, gives no figure for the brass pieces; it lists 12 in gold and 15 in bronze. One brass piece, struck from the quarter-ounce dies, is among the samples given to the Smithsonian in 1988. The design is consistent across all variants: Andor Orand's computer-generated squaring of the Washington quarter, transforming John Flanagan's classic 1932 design into a square format with sharp corners and serrated edges. The brass composition gives this piece a warm golden tone that contrasts with the bright white finish of the silver editions and the darker appearance of the cupro-nickel-zinc specimens. Like all Squared Quarters, this piece was struck by the Medallic Art Company in Danbury, Connecticut, from dies created through a collaboration between a computer programmer, an architect, and a sculptor. The Squared Quarter project represented a unique intersection of art, technology, political commentary, and numismatics during the early 1980s.

Cross References

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