Michael Fey unveiled a 1908-D Barber quarter with the widest repunched date known in the Barber series at the Barber Coin Collectors’ Society meeting held Aug. 2 during the American Numismatic Association’s Baltimore convention.
“The repunching on the date of this previously unknown variety was spectacular,” said Philip Carrigan, BCCS president.
Fey discovered the coin in the inventory of PMJ Coins dealer Paul Marino, the club stated in an Aug. 21 release.
“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,” said Fey. “So, I bought the coin and returned home to do further research.”
The example is actually a triple repunched date, according to the club. Slight doubling is evident at the bottom of the “1” and within the top loop of the “9.” A large separation of more than half a date digit can be seen at the bottom left of the “9” and the bottom left of the “0.”
Among the notable numismatists to examine the coin was numismatic scholar John Dannreuther, who performed overlays of the raised metal below the date and confirmed it as a repunched date.
“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,” said Dannreuther. “This may account for the coin’s extreme rarity.”
