U.S. COIN REFERENCE · Capped Bust quarter eagle
Capped Bust quarter eagles: the single-year 1808 and the restart
The long span includes a thirteen-year break before the next dated issue.
By SalarsNet · Reviewed October 5, 2026
A type in one year
The 1808 quarter eagle is a single-year design. Production resumes in 1821 with a different Capped Head treatment and continues intermittently to 1834. Record portrait, reverse motto, date, and actual size. A continuous date-range field cannot establish intervening issues.
Type references: PCGS Capped Bust $2.5 ↗
The old gold standard and survival
Earlier-weight gold was often melted or exported when its metal value exceeded face value. Survival therefore can differ sharply from recorded production. The 1834 Capped Bust issue retains E PLURIBUS UNUM, unlike the later Classic Head coin of that year. Photograph the reverse motto before choosing the reference.
Type references: PCGS Capped Bust $2.5 ↗
One collecting goal at a time
A type set, a date set, and a die-variety set need different denominators. Inspect surfaces for friction, cleaning, and repair, then compare authenticated examples with the same design and issue. Do not infer a survival count or a current price from the series’ annual production figures.
Type references: PCGS Capped Bust $2.5 ↗
Selected reviewed issue records
These catalog standards describe the named issue, not a measured specimen. The selected records below do not cover every date, mint, strike, or die variety. Reported production is labeled separately from established mintage. Unknown standards and mintage remain visible; survival estimates and certified populations are separate research questions.
No issue-level specification or mintage records are published for this category yet. Verify the exact date, mint, strike, metal, and subtype in its reference before using a numerical standard.
References and review
Reference reviewed October 5, 2026. Historical facts and catalog standards need to match the exact issue; price comparisons should be researched at the time of valuation.
Continue collecting
← Historic gold · U.S. coin reference · All collecting guides