Philip Carrigan
President, Barber Coin Collectors’ Society
1944 Ash Street
Waukegan, IL 60087
(847) 625-0381
E-MAIL: philrph1892@cs.com
http://www.BarberCoins.org


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Philip Carrigan
August 21, 2008

Fey Unveils Widest Repunched Date in Barber Series at BCCS Meeting

Waukegan, IL-August 21, 2008. At the August 2nd, 2008 meeting of the Barber Coin Collectors’ Society (BCCS) at the ANA Annual Convention in Baltimore, MD, Michael Fey unveiled a 1908 D Barber quarter with the widest repunched date of any coin seen in the entire Barber series.

1908-D Barber Quarter with spectacular repunched date

Philip Carrigan, President of the BCCS claimed that “The repunching on the date of this previously unknown variety was spectacular, and something everyone at the meeting should see.” The coin was passed around for all to see.



Fey discovered the coin in the inventory of dealer Paul Marino, PMJ coins, Manhasset, NY, who labeled the coin as a RPD. “When I first saw this AU Barber quarter in its flip, I quickly realized that it was something special, something that just didn’t register in my mind as a known Barber quarter variety. So, I bought the coin and returned home to do further research.”

Fey checked his Breen Encyclopedia, his Cherrypickers’ Guide, the 2nd Edition Barber Quarter book by David Lawrence, his ANACS population report, which lists 3 MPD’s and 1 RPD, and Kevin Flynn’s Quick Reference to Top Misplaced Dates. Although Lawrence listed eight different RPD’s, none matched the spectacular displacement of the example shown above, so Fey presumed the ANACS coin was one of those listed by Lawrence. As a matter of fact, the above example is actually a triple repunched date, with slight doubling showing at the bottom of the “1” and within the top loop of the “9”, but with a huge and spectacular separation of more than half a date digit at the bottom left of the “9” and the bottom left of the “0” in the date.



Two rare and spectacular repunched date varieties in the seated half dollar series come to mind that may be compared to this RPD, the 1847 7/6 half and the 1849 RPD half, both with a huge “Wow” factor. The quarter was viewed at by several notable numismatists at the Baltimore show including Bill Fivaz, Jeff Oxman, several attributors from PCGS, NGC and ANACS, and John Dannreuther (JD). Dannreuther subsequently performed overlays of the raised metal below the date and confirmed it as a repunched date. JD offered “It is possible that soon after the initial striking of this variety, mint employees polished the die to remove evidence of the severely wide repunching. This may account for the coin’s extreme rarity”.

According to John Frost, webmaster of the BCCS site, “It’s refreshing to know that in the year 2008, there are still some incredible Barber varieties still waiting to be discovered.”

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For further information or to join the BCCS please contact Philip Carrigan, BCCS Barber Coin Collectors’ Society, 1944 Ash Street, Waukegan, IL 60087, (847) 625-0381: E-MAIL: philrph1892@cs.com, or visit http://www.BarberCoins.org.

  Barber Coin Collectors' Society      --      Founded 1989      --      Email:   bccs@BarberCoins.org