1827 Capped Bust Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 4,000 made
- Mintage
- 4,000
- Metal
- 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper
- Weight
- 6.74 g
- Diameter
- 27 mm (1815–1828); 24.3 mm (1831–1838)
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1827 Capped Bust Quarter worth?
Few coins in the series are harder to find. Even a worn 1827 sells well above face value. The flip side is that counterfeits and altered dates are common, so authentication matters.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1827 Capped Bust Quarter rare?
- Yes. Only 4,000 were made, the lowest of any regular Capped Bust Quarter.
- Is the 1827 Capped Bust Quarter silver?
- Yes. It's 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper and holds 0.1934 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1827 Capped Bust Quarter?
- No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1827 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no Philadelphia issue had a smaller mintage than the 1827.
- How many 1827 Capped Bust Quarter coins were made?
- 4,000.
What to check on your 1827
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1827 Capped Bust Quarter Proof (12 made) is the one to compare with.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. Wear first appears on the curls near the ear, the cap and the eagle's wings. The word LIBERTY on the headband should be clear in Fine.
Never clean it. Collectors pay strong premiums for original surfaces and natural toning on a date like this. A cleaned coin can lose half its value or more. Low-mintage dates attract altered and counterfeit coins. Check that the date have not been tooled or added, or buy one already certified by PCGS or NGC.
The story of the 1827
Philadelphia hadn't struck the Capped Bust Quarter since 1824. When it came back in 1827, it made 4,000. The next year it made 102,000 (1828).
No other mint struck it for circulation that year, so every 1827 you find is from Philadelphia. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1823 (17,800) and the 1822 (64,080).
Of the 18 Capped Bust Quarters Philadelphia struck between 1815 and 1838, this is the scarcest. No Capped Bust Quarter of the 1820s had a smaller run.
The 1827 rarity and the last large quarters (1826 to 1830)
No quarters dated 1826 are known. Mint records report 4,000 quarters for 1827, but those coins may have carried earlier dates. Quarters dated 1827 exist almost entirely as proofs. Originals show a curled base on the 2 of the date, while later restrikes made from the same obverse have a square-based 2. Both are classic rarities that rarely appear for sale.
The 1828 quarter, with 102,000 struck, was the final large-diameter issue. It includes another 25/50 C. reverse in which the earlier 50 is visible beneath the 25. No quarters are dated 1829 or 1830 while the Mint prepared to adopt a close collar and a smaller format. Most 1828 quarters show honest circulation wear. Well struck examples with clear stars and a sharp eagle are the ones to look for.
How to recognize it
Liberty faces left wearing a cloth cap with a band inscribed LIBERTY, surrounded by 13 stars with the date below. The reverse shows an eagle with a shield on its breast and the value 25 C. below. Early coins are larger and carry E PLURIBUS UNUM on a scroll; in 1831 the coin was made smaller on new close-collar presses and the motto was removed.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Capped Bust Quarter (1815–1838) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1827 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 4,000 |
| Face value | 25¢ |
| Composition | 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper |
| Weight | 6.74 grams |
| Diameter | 27 mm (1815–1828); 24.3 mm (1831–1838) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.1934 troy oz (6.015 g) |
| Designer | John Reich; reduced-size version by William Kneass |
Other 1827 Capped Bust Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1827 Capped Bust Quarter | 4,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1934 oz |
| 1827 Capped Bust Quarter Proof | 12 | Proof | 0.1934 oz |
| 1827 Capped Bust Quarter Proof (Restrike, all known coins are 7 over 3 overdate errors) | about 20 known | Variety | 0.1934 oz |
Mintage: United States quarter mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.