1804 Draped Bust Quarter

The 1804 quarter marks the return of the quarter dollar denomination after a long gap; the only earlier quarters, dated 1796, used a different Small Eagle reverse and were themselves a one-year issue. The 1804 coin introduced the Heraldic Eagle reverse already seen on other early United States silver coins, and its small original production makes it the key date of the four-year Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle quarter series struck from 1804 through 1807.

Because so few were struck and fewer still have survived nearly two and a quarter centuries of handling, melting, and loss, the 1804 quarter is a landmark rarity that advanced collectors of early American silver actively pursue, often as the capstone of a type or date set.

Even low-grade, well-worn, or problem examples are scarce and valuable simply due to their age and tiny surviving population.

The early United States Mint at Philadelphia, working under limited capacity and inconsistent silver bullion deposits, struck quarters only intermittently in its first decades. After the single 1796 issue, no quarters were coined again until 1804, when renewed bullion deposits and demand prompted a new production run using engraver Robert Scot's Draped Bust obverse paired with the Heraldic Eagle reverse already used on larger silver coins.

Mint records commonly cited in standard references put the 1804 quarter's original mintage at only a few thousand pieces, an extremely small figure even by the standards of the era, when total annual coinage across all denominations was modest.

The coin circulated during Thomas Jefferson's presidency, a period when silver coins routinely saw heavy use, wear, and eventual melting, factors that further reduced the number of 1804 quarters that survive today.

The obverse depicts Liberty as a draped bust facing right, with LIBERTY above her head, a ring of stars around the border, and the date 1804 below.

The reverse shows the Heraldic Eagle with a shield on its breast, arrows and an olive branch in its talons, a ribbon reading E PLURIBUS UNUM above its head, a cluster of stars and clouds, and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the border. Below the eagle appears "25 C.", the denomination mark introduced with this type (the earlier 1796 quarter bore no stated value at all). The edge is reeded, and the coin is struck in the pre-1837 silver standard (about 89.2% fine).

Collectors should be alert to altered dates (a worn 1806 or 1807 quarter reworked to resemble 1804) given the enormous value gap between the key date and its more available neighbors; professional authentication is essential for any suspected 1804 example.

Because of its low original mintage and the further attrition of two centuries, the 1804 quarter is rare in every grade. Even heavily worn, low-grade, or problem examples (cleaned, holed, or otherwise impaired) typically bring many thousands of dollars, while sound, problem-free circulated examples can reach well into five figures.

High-grade or exceptionally well-preserved specimens are exceedingly rare and, when they do appear at major auctions, can realize prices in the low-to-mid six figures.

Given the coin's rarity and value, authentication by a major third-party grading service is strongly recommended for any coin represented as a genuine 1804 quarter.