1827 Quarter Eagle (1827 $2.50) NGC MS62. Breen-6131, BD-1, R.5 Bright mint luster gleams within the devices of this rare greenish-gold 1827 Quarter Eagle. Except for a couple of trivial marks on Libertys face and very light abrasion above the eagles head, which probably keep the coin from a higher mint state grade, the surfaces of this coin are clean and original. The strike is sharp on both sides, which is particularly noteworthy because this date is usually weakly struck on Libertys head. The coin shows Liberty facing left, wearing a Phrygian cap which is inscribed LIBERTY on its headband. Her hair flows down her neck past the truncation. She is encircled by thirteen stars and the date with dentils at the periphery. The reverse, which also has dentils at the periphery, shows a heraldic eagle facing left. It is holding arrows and an olive branch in its talons. The mistaken heraldry of the previous issue was corrected. The eagle now holds the arrows in its left talon and the olive branch in the right. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is interrupted by the wing tips and arcs above. The denomination 2 D. is below. The motto E PLURIBUS UNUM is on a ribbon that arcs from one wing tip to the other.

In 1808 John Reich designed a Capped Draped Bust quarter eagle. This one-year type is extremely rare and there was no proof mintage. However, in 1821 Robert Scot, despite advanced age and failing eyesight, designed a quarter eagle, which resembles Reichs earlier design. The face of Liberty was made smaller, and the thirteen stars arc above the portrait instead of being split with seven to the left and six to the right. No doubt Scot was called upon to make this new design after a hiatus of thirteen years because the banks requested that their deposits of gold be coined into quarter eagles.

With an original mintage of only 2,800, the 1827 quarter eagle is rare in all conditions. Furthermore, many pieces were melted or exported and are unavailable today. Many researchers believe that most of the quarter eagle coinage from the 1820s was melted or never released into circulation. The 1827 quarter eagle was the last date to be coined on the old screw press which utilized an open collar. The coin had a diameter of 20 millimeters. The following issue had the same weight but a smaller diameter of 18.5 millimeters because it was struck in a closed collar.

In mint state 62 the 1827 quarter eagle is an R-5. In its population report NGC shows 6 in MS62 with 8 better.