Owner Comments:
Mexico: Republic 25 Centavos 1878 Do-B NGC VF25, Durango mint, KM406.3. Balance Scale type. This is a very rarely encountered date, and missing from many collections. Only two are graded by NGC, this coin and one in fine, with none being graded by PCGS.
This specimen is a very rare date of a series struck 1873-90 at the Durango mint, which closed in 1895. This date is unpriced in the SCWC and KM, which lists the other assayer "E" as rare as well. KM just lists this as Rare. The twenty-five centavos piece replaced the two reales struck since colonial times. It, in turn, was replaced by a smaller twenty centavos piece in 1898. The first specimen was lot 6487 in Ponterio sale 155 (Baltimore, November 2010). The second specimen was lot 9072 in Ponterio sale 159 (Baltimore, March 2011), where it sold for $517.50. The catalog description[2] noted, "MEXICO. Durango. 25 Centavos, 1878-DoB. RARE date. Toned. EXTREMELY FINE."
Here are photos of the EF coin in 2011 sale, which is quite nice.
http://www.coinfactswiki.com/wiki/File:Mexico_1878Do_25_centavos_Ponterio_159-9072_obv.jpg
http://www.coinfactswiki.com/wiki/File:Mexico_1878Do_25_centavos_Ponterio_159-9072_rev.jpg
Here are the photos of the Fine piece in 2010 sale
http://www.coinfactswiki.com/wiki/File:Mexico_1878Do_25_centavos_Ponterio_155-6487_obv.jpg
http://www.coinfactswiki.com/wiki/File:Mexico_1878Do_25_centavos_Ponterio_155-6487_rev.jpg
Specification: 6.77 g, .903 fine silver, .196 troy oz ASW.
Recorded mintage: unknown.