1826 6 Over 6

The 1826 quarter eagle was struck in just 760 pieces, the lowest single-year delivery in the entire Capped Bust gold quarter eagle series and one of the smallest mintages in pre-1834 federal gold. Every example is the 6/6 repunched-date variety, where the engraving department re-entered the final 6 over a previously punched 6 in a slightly offset position; no clean 1826 die was prepared, so the variety designation describes the entire delivery rather than a separately collectible sub-issue. The work belongs to the Capped Head Left sub-type John Reich modified from his 1808 design, and all 760 pieces came from Philadelphia. The tiny original mintage, the 1834 melts that consumed most pre-Coinage Act gold, and steady attrition through circulation have left the 1826 as the genuine key of the series, sitting above even the 1827 and the 1824/1 in difficulty.

Authentication starts at the date itself. Under five to ten power magnification, the second 6 should show traces of the underlying 6 as a doubled outer curve, a secondary loop fragment, or a ghosted serif sitting just off-center from the visible digit; a clean 6 with no underlying remnant is a red flag, since no 1826 die exists outside the repunched variety. The second diagnostic is provenance. With PCGS estimating roughly 25 to 40 examples across all grades, every authentic piece is tracked individually through the major cabinets, and a documented chain through the Pittman, Bass, Eliasberg, or Pogue collections functions as a working second authenticator alongside the metallurgical standard of 4.37 grams in 0.9167 fine gold with a reeded edge and coin alignment. Cast counterfeits, the historic threat for early gold, betray themselves through grainy fields and softened star points.

Pricing reflects survival rather than mintage. Mid-grade VF and EF pieces clear $20,000 to $60,000, problem-free AU coins reach $80,000 to $150,000, and the small handful of Mint State examples sit in the six-figure range with the upper end approaching $200,000; an MS63 sold for $99,875 at Heritage in January 2009 and remains a useful auction anchor. Type collectors building a Capped Head Left set and date specialists working the full quarter eagle run compete for the same handful of pieces, which keeps the 1826 above its neighbors at every grade level. Certified examples are the only safe purchase given the counterfeit history and the financial stakes. See the full Capped Bust Quarter Eagle series history.