1827 Capped Head Left Quarter Eagle. BD-1, the only known dies. Rarity-5. AU-58 (NGC).，This is a sharp and inviting example of one of the rarest types in the classic U.S. Mint gold series. Both sides are boldly defined with a well centered and nicely executed strike; only the lightest friction precludes a Mint State rating. Warm honey-orange patina blankets satiny surfaces that are overall smooth with minimal signs of handling. Aesthetically pleasing, this coin is sure to find its way into an advanced gold type or date set.<p>Produced in limited numbers and suffering a high rate of attrition through commercial use and melting, the Capped Head Left quarter eagle series of 1821 to 1834 is extremely challenging to collect. The earlier dated issues in this series, those produced through 1827, represent a distinct type due to having been struck in the absence of a close collar. The diameter of the individual coins of this type is not standard, although it approximates 18.5 millimeters, and the design is slightly less refined than the 1829 to 1834 issues. In turn, the later date Capped Head Left quarter eagles were struck in a reduced, uniform diameter of 18.2 millimeters made possible by the introduction of the close collar. The design was modified slightly to accommodate this new technology.<p>The mintage of the Large Diameter Capped Head Left quarter eagle as a type is only 17,042 pieces, far fewer than that of many issues in the Capped Head Left half eagle series of the same era. The reason for this is the continued unpopularity of the quarter eagle denomination with contemporary bullion depositors. During the earliest decades of U.S. Mint operations precious metal coins were not struck on government account but, rather, were produced to fill orders from gold and silver depositors who requested coins of certain denominations. As the half eagle remained the most popular denomination with gold bullion depositors of the day, few quarter eagles were requested and, hence, struck. Compounding the rarity of the Large Diameter Capped Head Left quarter eagle as a type is the destruction through melting of thousands of pre-1834 U.S. gold coins after passage of the Act of June 28, 1834. Among other changes, this Act reduced the weight of the quarter eagle from 4.37 grams to 4.18 grams. Those pieces struck prior to the July 31 effective date of this Act contained slightly more gold than those produced after, were worth a premium as such, and were melted for profit.<p>The final issue in the Large Diameter portion of the Capped Head Left quarter eagle series, the 1827 has a mintage of just 2,800 pieces. John W. Dannreuther (2006) accounts for only 45 to 55 survivors in all grades and our offerings of high quality examples such as this are usually few and far between. An important bidding opportunity for the astute gold enthusiast.，PCGS# 7666. NGC ID: 25FJ.，NGC Census: 6; 15 finer (MS-65 finest).，From the Murray Hill Collection. Acquired from Stacks Bowers Galleries.
