1831 Large Letters

The 1831 Capped Bust quarter introduced a completely reworked format that would carry the series through its final years. Chief Engraver William Kneass modified John Reich's earlier Capped Bust design to fit a smaller planchet measuring 24.3 mm in diameter and weighing 6.74 grams. The reduction was a direct response to new steam-powered coining presses installed at the Philadelphia Mint, which produced sharper, more uniform strikes on smaller flans than the older screw presses could manage on larger ones. Mint Director Samuel Moore pushed the transition forward as part of a broader modernization program. The combined 1831 mintage of 398,000 pieces, split between Large Letters and Small Letters reverse varieties, marked a sharp uptick in quarter production after several years of modest output during the 1820s.

The Large Letters reverse is identified by noticeably taller and broader letters in the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and in the denomination 25 C. Compared side-by-side with the Small Letters variety, the difference in letter height is immediate and unambiguous. Kneass also eliminated the E PLURIBUS UNUM motto from the reverse on the redesigned format. Browning catalogs the Large Letters issues as B-5 through B-7, with die state and clash marks helping to separate marriages. Authentication should confirm the 6.74-gram weight standard and 89.24% silver composition, since lightweight or off-color specimens can indicate later contemporary counterfeits or modern fakes struck on incorrect alloys. Strike quality on early steam-press production is generally strong, with crisp stars and well-defined drapery on Liberty's bust, though softness on the eagle's wing tips appears on some die states.

Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) populations show 1831 Large Letters in solid numbers across circulated grades, with mint-state examples concentrating in MS62 to MS64. Gem-grade pieces appear at Heritage Auctions and Stack's Bowers sales with regularity but still command meaningful premiums. Collectors building a type set often gravitate to this date because of its availability. For broader context on the format change, see the Capped Bust Quarter series history.