“VIRTUALLY PERFECT” PCGS/CAC PR67 DCAM 1895 $2.50

By the late 1880s/early 1890s, the US mint had refined the process of making spectacular two-tone gold and silver Proofs, and some of the most beautiful coins ever struck in this country are gold Proofs dated 1888 to 1899. Among the gold denominations from this Pinnacle of Proofs, quarter eagles seem to have the heaviest frosting on the devices. Superb Gems are far more available than they are for half eagles, eagles, and double eagles, and this means that the advanced collector has opportunities to buy coins as nice as this 1895 quarter eagle for their type set for what I regard to be reasonable levels..

There were 119 Proofs struck and it appears that slightly more than half are known. This includes a number of jaw-dropping coins such as an NGC PR69 Ultra Cameo which sold for a record-setting $90,000 as Heritage 10/2020: 3104. Three PCGS PR68 DCAMs have been graded by PCGS, and the single finest graded by this service to ever sell at auction was the Simpson PR67+ DCAM at $43,200 in May 2022.

This coin was originally in an NGC PR67+ Ultra Cameo holder, and I think it faces up very nicely alongside the two PR68 DCAMs pictured on the PCGS Coinfacts page for this issue.

Close inspection with a 5x loupe reveals that this coin is virtually perfect and the eye appeal is off the charts. Both sides display rich natural gold color and this is definitely among the single best proofs of this design type that I can recall having offered for sale.

CAC has approved a total of 20 1895 DCAM quarter eagles, including seven in PR67DCAM, and only a single coin finer in PR68DCAM.

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