INDEX
A Capped Bust Quarter contains 0.1934 troy oz of silver — about $11.55 at today's silver price.
Spot price as of July 23, 2026
About This Series
John Reich designed the Capped Bust quarter, which replaced the Draped Bust type. The series runs from 1815 to 1838 with a gap from 1828 to 1831 while the Mint retooled. Several overdates exist, including the 1823/2, which is rare in any grade. The 1827 original strike is an extreme rarity with only a handful known, though many 1827-dated proofs were made as restrikes much later. Most dates come well-worn from circulation, making choice uncirculated examples genuinely scarce. The series ended when the Liberty Seated design took over in 1838.
Specifications
1815–1838
- Composition
- 89.24% Silver, 10.76% Copper
- Fineness
- 89.2%
- Weight
- 6.74 g
- Diameter
- 27.0 mm
- ASW
- 0.1934 oz
- Years Produced
- 1815–1838
Melt Value
Based on silver spot price of $59.74/oz
Spot price as of July 23, 2026
Mintage by year and mint
“Low mintage” marks a year at or below 10% of the median business-strike mintage for its own denomination; “Scarce for the series” marks one above 10% and at or below 25%. The median here is 234,626. That is a statement about how many were struck, not about how many survive or what collectors pay.
| Year | Mint | Business strikes | Proof | Relative mintage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1815 | Philadelphia | Not published by NGC | Not listed by NGC | |
| 1818 | Philadelphia | 361,174 | Not published by NGC | |
| 1819 | Philadelphia | 144,000 | Not listed by NGC | |
| 1820 | Philadelphia | Not published by NGC | Not published by NGC | |
| 1821 | Philadelphia | 216,851 | Not published by NGC | |
| 1822 | Philadelphia | 64,080 | Not published by NGC | |
| 1823 | Philadelphia | 17,800 | Not published by NGC | Low mintage |
| 1824 | Philadelphia | 168,000 | Not published by NGC | |
| 1825 | Philadelphia | 168,000 | Not listed by NGC | |
| 1827 | Philadelphia | Not listed by NGC | Varieties reported separately | |
| 1828 | Philadelphia | 102,000 | Not published by NGC | |
| 1831 | Philadelphia | 398,000 | Not published by NGC | |
| 1832 | Philadelphia | 320,000 | Not listed by NGC | |
| 1833 | Philadelphia | 156,000 | Not published by NGC | |
| 1834 | Philadelphia | 286,000 | Not published by NGC | |
| 1835 | Philadelphia | 1,952,000 | Not published by NGC | |
| 1836 | Philadelphia | 472,000 | Not published by NGC | |
| 1837 | Philadelphia | 252,400 | Not published by NGC | |
| 1838 | Philadelphia | 366,000 | Not published by NGC | |
| Mintages as published by NGC Coin Explorer, 2026-03 snapshot. Covers 1815–1838. NGC Coin Explorer does not list every date and mint, so this is what it publishes rather than a complete census. | ||||