1824/1 Capped Head Left Quarter Eagle. BD-1, the only known dies. Rarity-5. AU-58 (PCGS). Secure Holder.；The 1824/1 quarter eagle is here represented by a superior quality near-Mint example. The strike is rather sharp for the date, with just a hint of softness to the central hair curls on the obverse and within the eagles plumage along the left (facing) border of the shield. This pattern of strike is very common for coins of this type. The lettering, stars, and devices on both sides are well formed. Subtle reflectivity from the original finish is retained in the fields, usually only seen on the highest grade coins that were struck with freshly engraved and polished dies. The more open field areas are highly susceptible to wear and abrasions from commercial use, but here they are fresh and vibrant. A pair of light marks rest near Libertys ear on the obverse, through the balance of abrasions remain trivial and fail to draw the eye. Lively orange-gold patina and iridescent copper peripheral highlights enhance the appeal of this beautiful Capped Head left quarter eagle.<br /><br />The only known die variety of this issue is an overdate with the flag or upper serif of a 1 protruding from the upper left of the primary digit 4 in the date. Apparently the Mint prepared two obverse dies for the 1821-dated quarter eagles but, in the end, only one was needed for coinage. No quarter eagles were struck in 1822 or 1823, so when coinage was resumed in 1824, the unused die from 1821 was overdated. The single reverse die of the 1824/1 issue is the same as that used for the 1821 quarter eagle.<p>Produced to the extent of just 2,600 pieces, this issue has a surviving population of a mere 50 to 60 coins, making it as elusive as the 1821. The rarity of these and other quarter eagle issues of the 1820s is explained firstly by low mintages, compounded by melting of most coins after 1834 to capture their bullion content. Here, indeed, is a rare and important offering for the advanced collector.
