PCGS COIN OF THE ISSUE-1826/6 Capped Bust Quarter Eagle, PCGS MS61

By Shannon Rajkitkul

The 1826 Quarter Eagle is the single-rarest Small Capped Bust, Large Diameter (Type 2) $2.50 business strike, with the lowest mintage for the series at just 760 pieces. Only 32 are estimated to survive today across all grades, most of which are in the XF to AU grade range.

Previously known as 1826/5, the 1826/6 Small Capped Bust, Large Diameter Quarter Eagle is graded PCGS MS61 and being offered by Paradime Coins. Courtesy of Paradime Coins.

In the 1790s and into the 1800s, the United States was moving away from a system of coinage based on Spanish and British currency to a decimal monetary system based on the dollar as we know it today. The quarter eagle, along with other gold coins produced by the Philadelphia Mint in the early 19th century, was part of this transition after a long 13-year hiatus that restarted in 1821 with the first of the Small Capped Bust, Large Diameter Quarter Eagles.

1826/6 Capped Bust Quarter Eagle, PCGS MS61. Courtesy of PCGS.

In more recent times, Capped Bust Quarter Eagles have become popular collectibles. Yet, they remain undervalued for several reasons, including the fact that there are just five dates in the Type 2 Capped Bust series to collect (1821, 1824/1, 1825, 1826/6, and 1827). There is also their overarching scarceness given how many were melted for their gold content, and the fact that all issues in this series yielded mintages of fewer than 4,500.

Beyond the rarity of the type, the 1826/6 Quarter Eagle, previously known as “1826/5,” has left very few examples for collectors today. PCGS has graded just 19 specimens. Paradime Coins is humbled to have handled some of the finest examples of this scarce coin, including a PCGS AU50 example and this stellar PCGS MS61 specimen here being among the best. In fact, it is better than even the two examples enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution collection, which are both graded MS60. This piece has multiple cool factors going for it as the key to the series and being one of the lowest-mintage business strikes among all quarter eagles. Most importantly, this specimen has original surfaces, critical for collecting the best examples of early gold. Paradime Coins is pleased to offer this trophy of a coin and the key rarity for the quintessential Capped Bust Quarter Eagle series.