Owner Comments:
1821 25C MS64 PCGS. B-5, R4+. Population (PCGS 13/11, NGC 20/10).
The mintage reported for the year was 216,851 coins, although some of those were from dies dated 1820. It would be almost impossible to speculate how many of each date were included in the total production figure. Mintage of the Capped Bust quarter dollars was sporadic at best. The following years are represented: 1815, 1818-1825, 1827, and 1828. Breen suggested that the public much preferred the Spanish 2 Reals silver pieces and other fractional units. The Spanish colonial pieces were much more familiar to most people of the young nation.
Designs were by John Reich, who redesigned all of the circulating coinage after he was hired in 1807. The quarters and half dimes were the last two denominations to adopt the new designs, in 1815 and 1829 respectively. Three obverse and five reverse dies were produced for a combination of six different die varieties.
With the exception of "B-6," of which only two coins are believed extant, B-5 is the scarcest variety of the 1821 Quarter. This coin most likely qualifies for Condition Census. It has the first star near the bust truncation, while the seventh star points to the headband. The sixth star is boldly re-cut.