EARLY QUARTER DOLLARS OF THE UNITED STATES 1796-1838
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The One Hundred Greatest Items Of United States Numismatic Literature Rank: Number 36
Clain-Stefanelli 12269, Davis 149, Sigler 352
“The most perfect numismatic book written on the first try,” per Walter Breen, Browning was little known for its time, a labor of love which reached print but not much further. Today the original Browning and the Ford 1950s reprint are highly prized, with a combined print run of perhaps one hundred copies. Breen’s opinion notwithstanding, Browning’s work is dedicated to the quarter dollar die varieties of 1796 to 1837 and not much else. Ironically, it was Breen himself who did much to expand the definition of numismatics beyond mere technical data. Thus, although Browning was well written and well plated, today’s collectors expect more. Happily, the efforts of Steve Tompkins have recently resulted in a complete update of Browning, a four hundred page cornucopia of quarters. In full color with considerable commentary not found in Browning, Tompkins is now the reference of choice for the bust quarter collector. For the bibliomaniac, one can only recommend that both are acquired, not to mention the precursor work, Haseltine's Type Table (#95).
1st Edition
Photo courtesy of George Frederick Kolbe - Fine Numismatic Books.
BROWNING, A. W. EARLY QUARTER DOLLARS OF THE UNITED STATES 1796-1838. WITH A FEW REMARKS CONCERNING THEIR TYPES, VARIETIES AND RARITY. ILLUSTRATED ON EIGHT PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES.
New York, NY: Wayte Raymond, 1925
36pp, 8 Photographic plates
Quarto: 23 x 16 cm
Hardcover: Crimson cloth
Limited to 50 copies. Gilt stamped typeface uses a serif font.
1st Edition, Deluxe
Photo courtesy of George Frederick Kolbe - Fine Numismatic Books.
BROWNING, A. W. EARLY QUARTER DOLLARS OF THE UNITED STATES 1796-1838. WITH A FEW REMARKS CONCERNING THEIR TYPES, VARIETIES AND RARITY. ILLUSTRATED ON EIGHT PHOTOGRAPHIC PLATES.
New York, NY: Wayte Raymond, 1925
36pp, 8 linen-backed Photographic plates
Quarto: 23 x 16.5 cm
Hardcover: Interleaved dark brown crushed morocco
5 copies known in Deluxe Format. [1]
1950 Reprint
Photo courtesy of George Frederick Kolbe - Fine Numismatic Books.
New York, NY: John J. Ford, Jr, 1950
36pp, 8 linen-backed Photographic plates
Quarto: 24 x 17 cm
Hardcover: Crimson cloth
Approximately 25 - 35 copies issued. Gilt stamped typeface uses a sans-serif font.
Plates in this edition were taken from the original 1925 glass negatives and are considered superior to the original plates.
1950 Interleaved Reprint
New York, NY: John J. Ford, Jr, 1950
36pp, 8 linen-backed Photographic plates
Quarto: 24.5 x 18 cm
Hardcover: Interleaved crimson three-quarter morocco grained cloth with French marbled-paper sides
Approximately 5 issued in Interleaved format.
Plates in this edition were taken from the original 1925 glass negatives and are considered superior to the original plates.
1950 Deluxe Interleaved Reprint
New York, NY: John J. Ford, Jr, 1950
36pp, 8 linen-backed Photographic plates
Quarto
Hardcover: Interleaved full red calf
Unknown how many were bound in this deluxe interleaved fashion. This version was not present in John Ford's library when sold by George Kolbe in 2004 and 2005.
c.1960 Reprint
Newton Centre, MA: Zenith Trading Company, n.d. (c.1960's)
44pp. 8 plates
Duodecimo (12mo)
Softcover: Tan grained card covers
Included the quarter dollar section from Hazeltine [sic] Type Table Catalog.
The plates are tipped in and not present in all copies.
1977 Reprint
New York, NY: Sanford J. Durst, 1977
44pp, 8 plates.
Octavo
Hardcover: Maroon leatherette
Numbered and limited to 1000 copies issued. Plates are of low quality.
1981 Reprint
Photo courtesy of Steve Shupe Numismatic Library.
New York, NY: Sanford J. Durst, 1981
44pp, 8 plates.
Quarto
Hardcover: Maroon leatherette
1992 Reprint
Wolfeboro, NH: Bowers & Merena in cooperation with George Kolbe, 1992
166pp. 8 plates.
Quarto
Softcover: White pictorial card covers
The 1992 Bowers & Merena reprint versions are a major effort to update this standard work. Updates by Walter Breen, collaboration by Robert W. Miller, commentary by Q. David Bowers, edited and compiled by Michael Hodder.
1992 "Unofficial" Reprint
BROWNING, A. W. & BREEN, Walter H. THE EARLY QUARTER DOLLARS OF THE UNITED STATES 1796-1838. BY A. W. BROWNING, 1925. COMPLETELY UPDATED IN 1991 BY WALTER BREEN. WITH THE COLLABORATION OF ROBERT W. MILLER, SR. NEW COMMENTARY 1992 BY Q. DAVID BOWERS. WITH NOTES ON RARITY, ATTRIBUTION, NEW VARIETIES, PEDIGREES OF FINEST KNOWN SPECIMENS, ETC. EDITED AND COMPILED BY MICHAEL HODDER.
Wolfeboro, NH: Bowers & Merena in cooperation with George Kolbe, 1992
166pp. 8 plates.
Quarto
Hardcover: White pictorial boards
This is the "Unofficial" hardbound edition whereas 25 copies were bound from unbound signatures by George Kolbe in 2003.
1992 Deluxe Reprint
Photo courtesy of Thomas Wetter Numismatic Library.
BROWNING, A. W. & BREEN, Walter H. THE EARLY QUARTER DOLLARS OF THE UNITED STATES 1796-1838. BY A. W. BROWNING, 1925. COMPLETELY UPDATED IN 1991 BY WALTER BREEN. WITH THE COLLABORATION OF ROBERT W. MILLER, SR. NEW COMMENTARY 1992 BY Q. DAVID BOWERS. WITH NOTES ON RARITY, ATTRIBUTION, NEW VARIETIES, PEDIGREES OF FINEST KNOWN SPECIMENS, ETC. EDITED AND COMPILED BY MICHAEL HODDER.
Wolfeboro, NH: Bowers & Merena in cooperation with George Kolbe, 1992
166pp, 8 double page halftone plates, 8 Photographic plates
Quarto: 27.5 x 23 cm
Hardcover: Brown crushed full morocco
The 1992 Deluxe edition was limited to 25 copies.
Copy #1 was the only copy issued with a matching clamshell box.[2]
The plates in the 1992 reprint are considered superior to both the original 1925 and the 1950 Ford reprint.
1998 Reprint
Rockville Centre, NY: Sanford J. Durst, 1998
166pp. 8 plates.
Quarto. 23 x 15.5 cm
Softcover: White pictorial card covers
Plates in this 1998 reprint edition are of low quality.
References
- ↑ http://www.coincats.com/06jan/Deluxe%20Browning%2006jan12.pdf
- ↑ George Frederick Kolbe, Fine Numismatic Books. AUCTION SALE 100: PART 1 June 3, 2006, Lot 15