1831 US Coins: Values & Mintages

US coinage in 1831

New close-collar presses made the quarter smaller and more uniform in 1831. The motto E PLURIBUS UNUM was removed from its reverse.

The Mint in the 1830s

A new, larger Mint building opened in Philadelphia in 1833 at Chestnut and Juniper streets. Steam power arrived in 1836, allowing much faster and more uniform striking. The Coinage Act of 1834 cut the gold content of US gold coins so they would stop being exported and the Act of 1837 standardized silver coins at 90% silver.

Christian Gobrecht joined the Mint as engraver and designed the Seated Liberty figure that would appear on silver coins for more than half a century. Gold discoveries in Georgia and North Carolina led Congress to authorize branch mints at Charlotte and Dahlonega and a third at New Orleans, in 1835. All three began striking coins in 1838.

How many coins were made in 1831

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 11,644,970 coins dated 1831 across 5 issues. That is 42% more than in 1830 (8,226,300). In 1832 the figure fell to 8,966,500.

No earlier year on our list comes close: it was the largest output up to that point.

Every circulation coin on this page came from Philadelphia.

Those coins held about 2,456,552 troy ounces of pure silver.

1831 coins by denomination

Cents: 3,359,260 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent, up 96% on 1830.

Dimes: 771,350 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Capped Bust Dime, up 51% on 1830.

Quarters: 398,000 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Capped Bust Quarter.

Half Dollars: 5,873,660 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Capped Bust Half Dollar, up 23% on 1830.

Odd Denominations: 1,242,700 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Capped Bust Half Dime, up 0.22% on 1830.

Every 1831 circulation issue at a glance

• 1831 Capped Bust Quarter: 398,000 struck, more than 88% of the series' 18 issues, up from 102,000 in 1828.
• 1831 Capped Bust Dime: 771,350 struck, more than 74% of the series' 20 issues, up from 510,000 in 1830.
• 1831 Capped Bust Half Dime: 1,242,700 struck, more than 50% of the series' 9 issues, similar to 1830.
• 1831 Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent: 3,359,260 struck, more than 78% of the series' 24 issues, up from 1,711,500 in 1830.
• 1831 Capped Bust Half Dollar: 5,873,660 struck, more than 94% of the series' 35 issues, similar to 1830.

Coronet (Matron Head) Large Cent: Date and letter size varieties

Mintages stayed between roughly 1.4 and 3.4 million each year as commerce expanded. This is a period of small but collectible changes in the punches: the 1828 has a Large Narrow Date and a Small Wide Date, while the 1829 comes with large letters and medium letters on the reverse. The 1834 combines large or small 8 with large or small stars in several pairings.

Collectors usually identify these cents by Newcomb numbers, from Howard Newcomb's reference on cents from 1816 to 1857. Proofs continue in tiny numbers and are rarities for every date. Better made planchets mean circulated coins from these years often look smoother than earlier Coronets. The dentils and stars tend to be sharper. Uncirculated pieces are scarce for most dates in this group, since there was no large hoard as with the earlier years.

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Capped Bust Quarter: Smaller quarters from a close collar

In 1831 William Kneass reworked Reich's design for striking in a close collar, cutting the diameter to about 24.3 mm and dropping the scroll with E PLURIBUS UNUM from the reverse. The close collar gave every coin a uniform size and a beaded border in place of the old denticles. The 1831 comes in small letter and large letter reverses.

Output climbed to 1,952,000 in 1835, the largest of the type. The 1833 and 1834 include an O over F error in the word OF on the reverse. The Act of January 18, 1837 changed the standard to 90 percent silver with a weight of 6.68 grams, though the coins look the same. In 1838 the Seated Liberty quarter replaced this design partway through the year. Small-size quarters are the easiest Capped Bust quarters to find in Very Fine and better grades.

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Capped Bust Half Dollar: Peak lettered edge production

From 1825 the Mint struck about three to more than six million halves a year, reaching 6,412,004 in 1834. These high mintages make the dates of the late 1820s and early 1830s the most available Capped Bust halves and the usual choice for a type set. The lettered edge still reads FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR.

Varieties are plentiful. The 1828 has curled and square base 2 dates with large and small letters on the reverse. The 1830 comes with a small or large 0 and the 1832 with small or large letters. Collectors identify individual die pairs using the numbering system published by Al C. Overton. Coins of these years are often found with original toning in Fine to About Uncirculated, though cleaned and polished pieces are common.

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Capped Bust Dime: The close collar and a smaller dime

In 1828 the Mint began striking dimes in a close collar, a steel ring that held the planchet as it was struck. The collar formed the reeded edge and gave every coin the same diameter. The new dimes are smaller and a bit thicker, about 18.5 millimeters across, with a raised rim and a row of small beads inside it. The design itself stayed the same, with the motto still on the reverse.

Philadelphia struck 125,000 dimes in 1828, in both the old Large Date style and the new Small Date reduced size. The 1828 is the scarce date of this group. Output rose to 770,000 in 1829. That year has several varieties, including the rare Curl Base 2, where the 2 in the date has a curled foot. There are also Small, Medium and Large 10 C. versions. The 510,000 dimes of 1830 include an 1830/29 overdate. In 1831 the Mint struck 771,350.

These coins look neater than earlier dimes because of the close collar, so they are a good place to start a Capped Bust set. For an 1828, check whether yours has the old wide rim and long denticles or the new beaded border. For an 1829, look at the base of the 2 with a magnifier. Collectors call the two styles the Large Size and Small Size types.

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Capped Bust Half Dime: The half dime returns

After a gap of twenty four years, the half dime came back in 1829. The reason is not recorded, but a coin between the cent and the dime was clearly useful for small purchases. Chief Engraver William Kneass adapted John Reich's Capped Bust design, with Liberty in a cloth cap and an eagle on the reverse holding an olive branch and arrows. E PLURIBUS UNUM appears on a scroll above the eagle and the value is shown as 5 C. The coin is about 15.5 millimeters across and weighs 1.35 grams.

Unlike earlier half dimes, these were struck in a close collar from the start. The collar formed the reeded edge and gave each coin an even diameter and a neat beaded border. Philadelphia struck 1,230,000 in 1829, 1,240,000 in 1830 and 1,242,700 in 1831. Output dipped to 965,000 in 1832. Thirteen stars surround Liberty, seven on the left and six on the right.

These early dates are common for their age. They are a good way to own a Capped Bust half dime without hunting for a rarity. Check the date and look at the cap band for LIBERTY, which wears quickly. Then examine the eagle's feathers and the scroll. Watch for cleaning, scratches and holes. Collectors attribute the dies with Logan-McCloskey numbers. With Philadelphia the only mint, no coin of the type has a mint mark.

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