The quarter dollar got a late start, with the first coins struck in 1796 — by which time Robert Scot’s Draped Bust design had replaced the earlier Flowing Hair style used on the 1794–95 silver. The obverse shows the Draped Bust Liberty; the reverse began with a small perched eagle and later adopted a heraldic (shield-breast) eagle.
Key facts
- Designed by: Robert Scot
- Issue dates: 1796, 1804–1807
- Composition: 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper
- Diameter: ~27.5 mm
- Weight: 6.74 grams
- Edge: Reeded
The series has two reverse types. The Small Eagle type was struck only in 1796 — a famous one-year type coin — after which eight years passed with no quarters minted. When coinage resumed in 1804, the Heraldic Eagle reverse (used 1804–1807) was in place. Both the 1796 (6,146 struck) and the 1804 (6,738 struck) have tiny mintages and are scarce, sought-after rarities; production only ramped up for circulation beginning in 1805.
We actively buy Draped Bust quarters in every grade, from well-worn examples to the key 1796 and 1804 and high-grade type coins. Send photos for a free, no-obligation offer.