Good day for variety hunting!!

[Speedy]

Well today I found some time and pulled out my new copy of the Cherrypicker's guide Vol. 2 along with my Washington Quarters. As some of ya'll might know I'm trying to work on a set of AU/MS Washington Quarters mostly slabbed. So I pulled out my NGC's and set to work. I knew that I had 2 nice 1941-S quarters but I didn't know if they were Large S or Small S....well a found out that my NGC MS63 is a nice Large S and my MS66 is a small S!! I'm glad to find that I have at least one Large S!!!!!

Last but not least I was reading about FS-25-1943S-501, (or the 1943-S Trumpet Tail MM) and remembered that I had a 1943-S somewhere---I found it and sure enough it fits right into the comments and photos!! They said that as of 04/02 there were only 3 Mint State specimens known.....mine is graded NGC MS66!!! The book says that CONECA doesn't have this one listed...do ya'll know why? I'm thinking about sending it to James Wiles and letting him check it out.

Well I guess that is all I'm going to find today!! Maybe tomorrow I'll check out the book some more if I get some time!!

[Car10]

Enough excitement for one day? Save some for later. Nice job Speedy.:)

[Speedy]

Here is a pic. of the Large S.

[JamesWiles]

Speedy:
That is the small S. I have photos up of both on www.varietyvista.com.

[Speedy]

Really? From the photos in the Cherrypicker's guide the Small S is filled and alot smaller? It looks like this one on your site:
http://www.varietyvista.com/1941SMMS0021%20quarter.htm

Also---can you post a link to your photo of the Large S....I can't find it.

One more question---have you already viewed the FS-25-1943S-501, (or the 1943-S Trumpet Tail MM), and what are your thoughts on it? Is there a reason it isn't listed in the CONECA files?

[Speedy]

by the way---I hope my post didn't sound like I didn't believe you. I'm just new to this variety hunting game and have a ton to learn.

[wavysteps]

If I can jump in on this one - the small "S" mint mark, which by the way is the picture you first posted, is notched just before the serifs, both top and bottom. I believe where the confusion is coming from is the fact that the picture you posted is not the filled "S" that is in James' VV, but an earlier die state small "S" that is not filled. Notice that on both large mint marks shown in the CPG, there is no notching just before the serifs, however, even though it may be hard to discern, there is notching just before the serifs on the small mint marks shown.

Hope this helps.

BJ Neff

[Speedy]

Thanks alot BJ,
I wonder why none of the books or guides tell about the notching before the serifs?!! Once you know that it is a ton easier to see the differents between the two. Thanks alot for the help!!

[wavysteps]

I am glad that I could help. I think that most variety collectors have an eye for things that are different and the first thing that popped out was that little notch before the serifs. That is how I caught the inverted mint mark on the 1946-S Lincoln cent, it just looked different when it came under the scope.

BJ Neff

[JamesWiles]

CPG uses a photo for the small S which is closed up and not shadowed right to give you the PUP, which BJ has accurately pointed out is the notch on the lower loop at the serif. The photos on varietyvista (under mintmark styles, San Francisco) show the lower loops of each style clearly. The lower loop of the small S has a notch just before the serif. The lower loop of the large S (trumpet tail) is smooth, without a notch.
I don't have a clue what FS-41S-503 is referring to. All the trumpet tail S styles are the same whether cent, nickel, dime, or quarter. Some have the upper loop filled in, presumedly from heavy punching of the mintmark and/or a die chip. Sometimes a heavy punching does make the lower serif look more triangular, but my studies indicate that they are the same mintmark style.
I have seen the 43-S Trumpet tail and will eventually get photos up on varietyvista. Again I don't have a clue what FS-43S-502 is all about. There are no medium sized mintmark styles. Notice that they all have notches on both the upper and lower loops.
Hope this clarifies things a little better for you.

[Speedy]

Me and you are typing different numbers I think Mr Wiles. The FS number I was talking about is: FS-25-1943S-501 and is on page 168 in the 2nd Vol. of the Cherry Picker's guide.

[JamesWiles]

Speedy: The 43-S FS-501 is a legitimate listing, but I don't have photos up on varietyvista yet. To my knowledge only 1 die is known with this mintmark style for the 43-S. It is extremely rare.

[Speedy]

Arightly!! Thanks for the info. If you need to see a high grade specimen let me know as mine is graded by NGC MS66.