The 1862 quarter eagle is one of the foremost rarities in the entire Coronet quarter eagle series as only 35 proofs were coined. Of that number it has been variously estimated that survivors number between a low of 11-13 pieces (Taglione) to as many as 18 (Breen). Whomever one chooses to believe, very few examples of this date exist in any condition. This proof issue has been somewhat ignored, due in part to the rarity of the 1863 that follows it chronologically and the very underappreciated status of the associated business strike.