1828 Capped Bust Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 102,000 made
- Mintage
- 102,000
- 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 1828 Capped Bust Quarter worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1828 is valuable in any condition, even well worn. That's exactly why fakes and altered coins turn up so often.
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 1828 Capped Bust Quarter rare?
- Yes. Only 102,000 were made, 5th lowest of the 18 regular issues in the series.
- Is the 1828 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 1828 Capped Bust Quarter?
- No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1828 are scarcer?
- The 1827 at 4,000, the 1823 at 17,800. So the 1828 is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1828 Capped Bust Quarter coins were made?
- 102,000.
What to check on your 1828
- 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 1828 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 1828
Philadelphia ramped up hard in 1828: 102,000 coins, about 26 times the 1827 run. After that, Philadelphia didn't make another until 1831.
No other mint struck it for circulation that year, so every 1828 you find is from Philadelphia. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1815 (89,235) and the 1820 (127,444).
Across Philadelphia's 18 Capped Bust Quarter issues, the hardest to find is the 1827 with 4,000 made. The 1828 is on the scarcer side of the middle. Within the 1820s it's 4th smallest of 7, between the 1822 (64,080) and the 1820 (127,444).
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 | 1828 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 102,000 |
| 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 1828 Capped Bust Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1828 Capped Bust Quarter | 102,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1934 oz |
| 1828 Capped Bust Quarter Proof | 12 | Proof | 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.