reverse B Washington quarters 1956-1964 0

[Phjevans]

I would like to know more about the Reverse B Washington quarters of 1956 - 1964.  I have seen references stating that the B reverse wasn't used until starting in1958 and other minor differences in this "variety series".  If anyone has a reference about this or special or "inside" knowledge I would appreciate hearing about it.  Thanks.

Edited July 22, 2020 by Phjevans
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[DWLange]

The Type B reverse hub was intended solely for proof coins, and dies taken from it were used for that purpose from the 1930s through 1964. As proof mintages accelerated rapidly during the 1950s the Philadelphia Mint began using these proof dies to coin currency strikes whenever they had become unfit for proof coinage or were simply no longer needed for that purpose. MS quarters dated 1956 through 1964 are known that reveal the Type B reverse. While not truly rare, they are scarce enough to carry a premium. The retired obverse dies for proofs were used, too, but these carry no distinguishing features. They did, however, retain some of their proof finish for the first few hundred strikes.

[Phjevans]

Thank you so much for that information.  Do you or anyone know if this piece of US Mint / numismatic "modus operandi" or however we wish to categorize it has been researched and written down in a booklet or published paper that delves into all aspects of this variety?  There seems to be a lot of people such as myself that know of this variety but I can never find out anything more in depth about it such as wht percentage of each date was the reverse B and other details.

I appreciate your help.  Thanks

[DWLange]

There is no official documentation for any of this. Collectors sussed it out through observation and dedutive reasoning. The fact that so many Type B MS quarters are prooflike made the re-use of retired proof dies a logical conclusion. I don't believe anyone has written a definitive article on the subject, but something may have appeared in one of the error coin periodicals.

As for the relative rarity, this is best determined by NGC's Census Report. Just click below the date for each Philadelphia MS quarter from 1956 through 1964, and it will reveal the total population with the Type B coins in a separate line. We continue to receive more submissions of Type B coins every week, so the numbers will continue to grow, though perhaps a slower rate than when these varieties were first recognized.

[Phjevans]

OK thanks for everything.  I truly appreciate your time and input.

The definitive text on this subject and variety is still to be researched and written.