1824 Capped Head to Left Quarter Eagle - 1824/1

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Description

This is the 1824/1 overdate variety of the 1824 Capped Head to Left Quarter Eagle. Dies were expensive, and a serviceable die left over at the end of a year was often kept and re-dated rather than destroyed: the new digits were punched directly over the old ones. The earlier date survives underneath wherever its strokes fall outside the digits punched over it, which is why an overdate is read from the shapes that do not belong to the date as printed. The effect is in the die, so every coin struck from it carries the same remnant in the same position. A Gold Quarter Eagle from the Philadelphia Mint, the 1824 Capped Head to Left Quarter Eagle - 1824/1 belongs to the Capped Head to Left Quarter Eagles 1821-1834 series. Every 1824 Capped Head to Left Quarter Eagle is the 1824/1 overdate, so the issue's mintage of 2,600 is this variety's own. The obverse features Liberty facing left wearing a cap with curls of hair beneath and the reverse displays a heraldic eagle with shield on breast, olive branch and arrows in talons, with a banner reading E PLURIBUS UNUM. An 1821 obverse die was re-dated for 1824 by cutting a 4 over the 1. Struck in 91.7% gold, 8.3% silver and copper, weighing 4.37 grams, 18.5 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Cataloged as PCGS #7663.