1825 Capped Head Left Quarter Eagle. BD-2. Rarity-4+. Repunched 5, Distant Fraction. MS-61 (NGC). This is an enchanting example of one of the rarest types among classic U.S. Mint gold coinage. Intensely lustrous with crisply denticulated borders, the eye appeal remains strong for the assigned grade. A semi-prooflike finish in the fields contrasts nicely with a more satin texture to the devices, the entire package dressed in bright lemon-yellow patina. Only the most minor marks are noted under scrutiny, and the reverse remains notably well-composed. <p>The Philadelphia Mint struck a mere 4,434 quarter eagles in 1825 during an era in which the half eagle was the most popular denomination among gold bullion depositors. Many of these coins were melted after passage of the Act of June 28, 1834 reduced the weight of the quarter eagle from 4.37 grams to 4.18 grams, creating a scarce issue with an extant population of no more than 150 coins. Of the three known die marriages of the 1825 quarter eagle BD-2, offered here, accounts for most examples in numismatic hands. On the obverse the digit 5 in the date is thick with repunching at the tip of the flag, although this feature fades in later die states. The reverse die, a holdover from the 1821- and 1824-dated deliveries, has the fraction 1/2 in the denomination nearly centered under the junction of the lowermost arrow feather and olive branch. This piece is among the finest survivors from the issue, with just 16 coins certified finer by NGC across all 1825 varieties.
