Rare 1864 Quarter Errors (List & Pictures)
An exceptional 1864-S quarter sold for $112,700 in August 2006, a whole-coin result strongly influenced by rarity and preservation. For the date feature covered among 1864 quarter errors, estimated values are $750–$25,000 for worn through lower-grade unworn examples.
This guide explains the repeated 18 and why it should not receive credit for the coin’s entire value.
1864 Quarter Repunched 18 on the San Francisco Issue Error
The first two date digits can preserve remnants of an earlier punch impression. A second application of the date punch left overlapping shapes in the die before it produced coins.
The coins copied those shapes as part of the normal strike. The feature does not require each quarter to have received two blows.
The 1864-S date description notes that wear can merge the extra detail into a thick, lumpy 1. A less distinct appearance therefore needs careful comparison rather than automatic attribution.
How to Identify
Confirm S beneath the reverse eagle and above the denomination first. The reported date feature belongs to San Francisco and should not be transferred to Philadelphia by year alone.
Photograph the complete date, then enlarge 1 and 8 together with both images upright. Compare their contours with a sharper example of the same repeated-date feature.
Use side lighting to distinguish raised extra strokes from scratches cutting into the surface. An unusually broad 1 by itself is less persuasive than matching remnants on both numerals.
Keep the surface untouched if wear or marks obscure the outline. Do not assign a precise punch direction that the supplied description does not establish.
What It’s Worth
Circulated through lower-grade unworn examples have estimated whole-coin values of $750–$25,000. Much of that amount comes from the scarce 1864-S issue and the individual coin’s preservation.
Reported results include $750 for a cleaned example in May 2020 and $21,737.50 for an MS64 in July 2020. The MS64 grade describes an unworn coin with some visible marks.
The exceptional $112,700 August 2006 result lies beyond this working range. It is not a measure of the repeated date’s separate premium, and ordinary worn coins need condition-appropriate comparisons.
Conclusion
Use both the reverse S and the repeated front numerals when examining this feature. A thick-looking 1 can prompt closer inspection, but clearer corresponding detail on 8 helps support a match.
The estimated $750–$25,000 range concerns complete coins in the stated grades. Scarcity, preservation, and any cleaning remain central to value, while the earlier punch traces explain a small but useful part of the coin’s manufacture.
