1831 Capped Bust Quarter. B-4. Rarity-1. Small Letters. MS-64+ (PCGS). CAC.Semicircles of gold and turquoise iridescence sit at the upper and lower borders of the obverse, framing a pale swath of apricot patina. The reverse sports a more uniform complexion of turquoise, violet and golden shades throughout. Incredibly sharp across all elements, particularly Libertys hair curls. Entirely free of notable marks on either side. The cornerstone of the second Philadelphia Mint building on Juniper and Chestnut streets was laid on July 4, 1829, by Mint Director Samuel Moore. At around the same time, the Mint introduced several technological improvements to its processes, chief among which was the close collar (a.k.a. "collar die") which simultaneously imparted reeding to the coins edges (when desired) and gave them a uniform diameter during striking. The first coins produced using this innovation were the Capped Bust half dimes of 1829, a denomination not produced since 1805. The first chance to utilize the close collar for the quarter came in 1831, there being no examples of this denomination struck in 1829 or 1830. Because of this, the 1831 is subject to strong demand as a first-year type, though is most often found with heavy circulation. Mint State coins are scarce, and a near-Gem like the present example is an elusive find. Just 25 coins have been graded finer by PCGS.PCGS# 5348.PCGS Population: 5; 25 finer.Ex Heritages sale of April 2014, lot 4211; Heritages sale of August 2016, lot 3727.
