1806 6 Over 4, Stars 8x5

The 1806 6 Over 4 Stars 8x5 quarter eagle is one of two recognized overdate varieties for the year. Philadelphia reused an unspent 1804-dated obverse die by punching a 6 directly over the underlying 4, a cost-saving die-recycling practice common in the early Mint when working dies were expensive to engrave and emission volumes too small to justify fresh tooling. The obverse carries thirteen stars arranged 8 to the left and 5 to the right of Liberty's portrait, the configuration catalogued as Stars 8x5 in the Bass-Dannreuther reference for early gold. Mint records list a combined 1,136 quarter eagle deliveries for the entire year across both 1806 overdates, and the 6/4 Stars 8x5 accounts for the smaller share of that total. The variety pairs with the sister 1806/5 Stars 7x6 in any complete Draped Bust quarter eagle die-marriage build, and the two issues sit between the 1805 and the closing 1807 in the back half of the Heraldic Eagle run.

Authentication begins with the date area. Under 5x to 10x magnification the underlying 4 should be visible inside or behind the 6 of the date, with traces of the 4's horizontal crossbar typically projecting from the lower loop of the 6 and remnants of the digit's upright stem visible at the base. The overdate is the primary attribution diagnostic and any 1806 quarter eagle whose date appears as a clean single punch warrants immediate scrutiny. Star arrangement provides the second checkpoint: 8 obverse stars left of Liberty's portrait and 5 to the right, which separates this die marriage from the sister 1806/5 Stars 7x6. Specifications confirm the rest, with the piece weighing 4.37 grams on a 20 mm planchet of 0.9167 fine gold and carrying a fully reeded edge with coin alignment.

Survival is thin. PCGS census tracking estimates roughly 25 to 40 examples extant across all grades, with the bulk concentrated in Good through Fine and material above Very Fine genuinely scarce. Auction frequency is low and acquisition is best pursued through major-house catalog sales where overdate attribution and grading consensus carry the most weight. See the full Draped Bust Quarter Eagle series history.