The cool, overcontact, close binary, V523 Cassiopeiae was observed with the 1 m reflector at the US Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station. The photometry was very good, with a precision on the order of a few millimagnitudes, but not numerous enough for complete light-curve analyses (e.g., differential corrections). A conventional published synthesis has been found acceptable as a fiducial model, and most of the observational weight has been used to develop a spot model for the stars and to support the validity of theoretical limb-darkening coefficients. Both photospheres and chromospheres contribute to the model. This result indicates that multifilter measures of this and similarly cool binaries are necessary for fuller descriptions of stellar activity cycles. A number of newly determined times of minimum light solidify the published rate of period variability.