1815 US Coins: Values & Mintages

US coinage in 1815

No cents are dated 1815. The War of 1812 cut off supplies of copper planchets from England, so the Mint had nothing to strike until new stock arrived. The quarter dollar returned in 1815 with the Capped Bust design.

New this year: the Capped Bust Quarter.

The Mint in the 1810s

War with Britain from 1812 to 1815 cut off imports of copper planchets and cent production stopped once stocks ran out in 1814. No cents are dated 1815. A fire in January 1816 damaged the Mint's machinery, which is why no half dollars are dated 1816 and output of other coins stayed low for a time.

After the war, banks and merchants needed coin again. The Mint resumed cents with the Coronet design in 1816 and brought back the quarter dollar with the Capped Bust design in 1815. Gold coins remained undervalued against silver and most were exported soon after striking, so few survive from this period.

How many coins were made in 1815

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 136,385 coins dated 1815 across 2 issues. That is 92% fewer than in 1814 (1,818,405). In 1816 the figure rose to 2,820,982.

It was the smallest year since 1804.

Every circulation coin on this page came from Philadelphia.

Those coins held about 35,492 troy ounces of pure silver.

1815 coins by denomination

Quarters: 89,235 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Capped Bust Quarter.

Half Dollars: 47,150 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Capped Bust Half Dollar, down 95% on 1814.

Every 1815 circulation issue at a glance

• 1815 Capped Bust Half Dollar: 47,150 struck, 3rd lowest of 35 in the series, down from 1,039,075 in 1814.
• 1815 Capped Bust Quarter: 89,235 struck, 4th lowest of 18 in the series.

Capped Bust Quarter: John Reich's large quarter arrives

After seven years without quarters, the Mint struck 89,235 of John Reich's Capped Bust design in 1815. Liberty wears a cloth cap with a band reading LIBERTY. The reverse eagle carries E PLURIBUS UNUM on a scroll above it with 25 C. below. No quarters are dated 1816 or 1817, since a fire at the Mint in January 1816 disrupted silver coinage and quarters were slow to return.

Some 1815 quarters carry a small E or L punched above Liberty's head. The same marks appear on certain 1825 quarters and their purpose has never been settled. The 1818 run of 361,174 was the largest of these years and includes an 1818/5 overdate made from a reworked 1815 die. Quarters of this era were struck without a close collar, so diameters vary slightly and many coins show weakness at the stars and the eagle's claws.

See every Capped Bust Quarter →

Capped Bust Half Dollar: The 1815/2 and a run of overdates

Only 47,150 halves bear the 1815 date and all of them are overdates over a 2. A fire at the Mint in January 1816 damaged the rolling mill. No halves are dated 1816. The 1815/2 is the key date of the whole Capped Bust half series and is scarce in every grade. Most survivors show heavy wear.

Production resumed in 1817 and passed two million by 1819. The 1817/3 and the very rare 1817/4 head a long list of overdates that includes 1818/7, 1819/8, 1820/19, 1822/1 and 1824/1. The 1817 punctuated date shows a dot-like die flaw between 181 and 7. Many coins of this era show cracked dies or repunched letters, a sign that dies were kept in service as long as possible.

See every Capped Bust Half Dollar →