The short-lived Small Size Capped Head Left quarter eagle type was made from 1829 until 1834. Only 25,023 were struck and in 1831, the mintage was 4,520 coins. Around 100-125 exist with most in the AU55 to MS62 range. Locating nice AU’s is extremely difficult as this type didn’t readily circulate and those pieces that do show light wear tend to have extremely poor eye appeal.

This is among the choicest AU55 examples of this type that I can recall having seen and I could easily see it residing in an AU58 holder. It shows full original yellow-gold color with a semi-prooflike obverse; the reverse is more frosty in texture and it shows a bit more of a subdued appearance. Both sides are very clean with just a few small abrasions seen and the luster is nearly full with just a bit of wear seen on the high spots. This is a superb coin for the grade and, as I mentioned, above, this type is exceptionally hard to find in this grade range with good eye appeal.

Not a single AU55 1831 quarter eagle has sold at auction since three were offered all the way back in 2004. An NGC AU58, which was clearly not as original or choice as the current coin, brought $18,800 in Stack’s Bowers 3/13 auction.

An important coin for the serious gold type collector.

This is the only 1831 quarter eagle in AU55 to have been approved by CAC; six finer pieces have been approved as well.