Capped Bust Quarters with Major Varieties, Circulation Strikes (1815-1838)

Coinage of Quarters was suspended between 1808 and 1814. When production resumed in 1815, John Reich's Capped Bust design replaced Robert Scot's Draped Bust series. While most of the issues in this set are fairly common, the 1823/2 is a notable exception to that rule. Despite showing a mintage of just under 18,000 pieces, it is speculated today that much of that consisted of coins dated 1822. As a result, fewer than thirty-five 1823 quarters are known today, making it a mid five-figure coin in almost any grade. PCGS has graded only 17 examples, none of them mint state. Including the major varieties adds seven coins to the Basic 18-coin set. Of these, only the 1822 25/50C is apt to be a significant challenge. In 1831 the size of the quarter was reduced from a diameter of 27 mm to that of 24.3 mm. This smaller size is what we still see today in our Washington Quarters. Designer William Kneass also made a number of changes from the 1815-1828 capped bust design, which includes the elimination of the motto on the reverse. All of the reduced-size quarters of 1831-1838 are worth roughly the same. No rarities exist in this portion of the set.