Capped Bust Quarter Eagle with Stars
Very small mintages and rarely used.
Capped Bust Quarter Eagles with stars on the obverse were the second in a long line of Quarter Eagles produced by the U.S. Mint. They were made from 1796 to 1807 with the highest mintage being 6,812 pieces in 1807. These rare gold coins were also designed by Chief Engraver Robert Scot.
The obverse design is of Liberty facing right; she is wearing a soft cap with the inscription "LIBERTY" above, and the date below. The cap was long thought to be a Phrygian cap, taken from an ancient Roman model. However, even the Mint
Director at the time Samuel Moore identified this cap in 1825 as a fashionable headdress of the 1790s. This series has many die changes. These coins have from 13 to 16 stars on the obverse. They also range in the number of stars from left to right on the obverse.
The reverse of these gold coins shows a Heraldic Eagle with
wings spread. A line of clouds stretch from wing to wing with
13 to 16 stars below. The designer Robert Scot superimposed a
shield for the eagle’s breast and sketched the eagle holding
arrows in one of its talons and an olive branch in the other.
The inscription "UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA" encircles the entire design.
Another interesting fact with regard to these Quarter Eagles is that the dies used to make the coins were also used to produce early dimes of this design as well.
Coin Specifications:
Designer: Robert Scot
Weight: 4.37 grams
Comp: 91.7% Gold, 8.3% Silver
Diameter: 20mm
Edge: Reeded
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