1843-O Small Date

The 1843-O Small Date is the more frequently encountered of two date-logotype varieties New Orleans produced for the year, separated from its Large Date counterpart by shorter, more compact numerals that leave the date sitting tighter across the lower obverse. Both varieties share the year's combined 364,002-piece mintage, a figure that ranks among the highest annual deliveries any branch mint posted for a Coronet quarter eagle and drives the relative availability of Small Date examples across the lower circulated grades. Even so, the variety carries Semi-Key standing within the date-and-mintmark series because Mint State survivors remain genuinely scarce; most surviving pieces grade Very Fine through About Uncirculated, with the higher end of that range supplying most of the auction activity in any given year. Lower Mint State coins show up periodically in major sales but rarely settle into long-term collector hands.

Date-size verification is the attribution work. The Small Date numerals read visibly shorter than the Large Date logotype, and the spacing between the 8, 4, and 3 closes up noticeably compared to the more open Large Date arrangement; a reference comparison against a confirmed Large Date image resolves any borderline coins. The O mintmark deserves the routine branch-mint authentication screen regardless of date variety. Added-O alterations on Philadelphia 1843 quarter eagles do circulate in the broader market, so the punch should show consistent oval geometry, clean interior edges, no tool marks where the mintmark meets the surrounding field, and a font matching the standard New Orleans working die. Weight within tolerance of the 4.18-gram standard and specific gravity near 17.2 confirm the 90 percent gold composition. Genuine New Orleans surfaces typically read cleaner than Charlotte or Dahlonega production, without the granular texture those Southern facilities imparted.

For collectors building a Coronet quarter eagle date set, the 1843-O Small Date offers an accessible New Orleans entry that can be acquired in respectable circulated grades with patience, while a problem-free About Uncirculated example rewards a longer search. See the full Liberty Head Quarter Eagle series history.