$2.50 · Gold · Circulating
Capped Head Left Quarter Eagle
A low-mintage early gold series produced intermittently before the 1834 reduction in the statutory weight of U.S. gold coins.
- Designer
- Robert Scot and William Kneass
- Classic dates
- 1821–1834
- Mint facilities
- Philadelphia
01 · Overview
Why the Capped Head Left Quarter Eagle matters
Capped Head Left Quarter Eagle issues belong to the circulating portion of federal United States coinage. The series is dated 1821–1834 and is attributed to Robert Scot and William Kneass.
A low-mintage early gold series produced intermittently before the 1834 reduction in the statutory weight of U.S. gold coins. Date, mint, subtype, strike format, designation, and surface quality should be established before a grading population or price comparison is treated as relevant.
02 · Design
Reading the design
Obverse
The obverse identifies the series and normally carries the date. Portrait, relief, lettering, and any issue-specific design changes should be matched to a reliable attribution before the coin is compared with another Capped Head $2.50.
Reverse and edge
The reverse supplies denomination and national devices, while the Reeded edge can provide an additional attribution and condition check. Mint marks, privy marks, and security features must be read in their correct locations for the issue.
03 · Specifications
Nominal issue specifications
- Denomination
- $2.50
- Composition
- 91.7% gold, balance silver and copper
- Nominal weight
- 4.37 g
- Diameter
- Approximately 18.5 mm
- Edge
- Reeded
- Series dates
- 1821–1834
Nominal specifications describe regular classic issues. Patterns, proofs, special strikes, production tolerances, and later commemorative or modern versions may differ.
04 · Grading population
How many have been certified at each grade
No static census copied here. Full grade-by-grade counts change and are not republished without the exact issue, service, strike, designation, source, and as-of date. Use the official tools below; verified figures for an individual Nucoins coin appear on that coin's listing.
Population reports count submissions certified by a grading service. They do not count every surviving coin, and a series-wide total is not a substitute for the exact date, mint, variety, strike, designation, and grade. Nucoins listings show the population in the listed grade and the number graded higher when those figures have been checked against an official report.
- Population in grade
- Coins recorded by that service for the exact issue and assigned grade.
- Higher / finer
- Coins recorded by the same service in numerically higher applicable grades.
- Report date
- The date the figure was checked; counts can change after submissions, resubmissions, and database updates.
05 · Issue map
The series in stages
01
Series opening
Production began within the 1821–1834 span. First-year coins, introductory subtypes, and transitional dies should be distinguished from the later standard format.
02
Issue-by-issue study
Production involved Philadelphia. Availability can change sharply by date, mint, variety, strike, and grade even when the broad design remains the same.
03
Series close and later counterparts
Final-year issues, later collector versions, and revived designs should not be combined automatically with the original series. Their statutory specifications and grading populations may be different.
06 · Examination
What photographs should help you examine
Confirm the exact issue
Read the date, mint or privy mark, denomination, subtype, strike, and any recognized designation from the coin and holder. Population data is useful only when those identifiers match the report row being cited.
Separate strike from wear
Weakly struck detail, planchet texture, cabinet friction, and circulation wear are not interchangeable. Review both sides, the edge when available, and luster in protected areas.
Read surfaces beyond gold content
Intrinsic gold content establishes a reference, not the numismatic grade. Color, luster, marks, cleaning, damage, and eye appeal can distinguish coins with the same assigned number.
07 · Before buying
Questions the listing should answer
01
Separate metal value from numismatic value
The coin contains a known nominal amount of gold, but its market value can also reflect date, mint, variety, survival, grade, surface quality, and demand. A gold calculation is a useful reference point, not a complete valuation method.
02
Read the holder and the coin
Confirm the grading service, grade, certification number, and any documented designation, then examine the photographs independently. A third-party grade is an attributed opinion; it does not replace a review of color, luster, marks, and surface originality.
03
Treat cleaning and damage separately from wear
Circulation wear is only one part of condition. Cleaning, polishing, scratches, rim damage, mount removal, tooling, and altered surfaces can materially change how a coin is described and valued even when substantial design detail remains.
08 · Sources
Primary references
This guide is educational and intentionally type-level. Issue-specific attribution, mintage, certification, and condition should be verified for the individual coin.