What is amazing about coins and the world of numismatics, is the fact that a 25-cent specimen can be worth thousands of dollars. That is the case with the 1821 25 cent (Proof).
The series of this coin is the one known as Capped Bust Quarters 1820-1838. Its designer was John Reich and it was made of 89.2% silver and 10.8% copper. However, when you see it, you might not think it contains silver unless you are an expert.
Where was this Proof 1821 Quarter Dollars minted?
PCGS claims that this Quarter Dollar was minted in Philadephia. What is more, the mintage was 15. A mintage of 15 is extremely rare and this can make a coin worth a great deal of money.
Bear in mind that often, there can be thousands or millions of the same specimen. Researchers only know about four or five examples of this quarter dollar. One of them is treasured in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.
A mother well-known example is the “D. Brent Pogue PCGS PR67” which was sold for $235,000 in 2015. The third-quarter dollar collectors may know about is the one that turned up in the Norweb sale as a one-sided Proof. The fourth quarter dollar was in the Eugene Gardner sale as an NGC PR65.
What was the sale record for this quarter-dollar coin at an auction?
The auction record was set in 2023 and it cost $252,000. Although some people have claimed that there are about 12 Proof 1821 Quarters, it does not seem likely.
That makes this coin even more interesting because it may be more appealing to collectors and numismatics enthusiasts. If you look at the obverse of this marvelous quarter dollar, you can see a portrait of Liberty with a headband at its front.
This quarter dollar has 7 stars on the left-hand side and 6 to the right. The 13 stars represent the original thirteen colonies. The date it shows is 1821 and it is placed at the bottom. The reverse displays a heraldic eagle with outstretched wings, holding arrows and an olive branch in its talons. Above the eagle’s head is a scroll with the motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM”.