Coin Collecting a Guide for Beginners Header

Quarter Eagle

United States Gold Coin

The Quarter Eagle is a $2.50 gold coin that was produced by the U.S. Mint from 1796 to 1929.

Mintage numbers were fairly small when compared to some of the other denominations of gold US coins, therefore there are quite a few scarce and rare dates in this series.

Information about the major designs of the $2.50 gold US coin is available below.

Turban Head $2.50 Gold Coin (1796-1807)

(click image for larger view)
Turban Head
$2.50 Gold US Coin

There are two major versions of this type of the Turban Head $2.50 Gold Coin - one without stars and one with stars on the obverse or front of the coin.

These coins are rare due to both a low mintage and the fact that a large majority of them were melted down for their gold content.

Even though these coins are rare, they are still obtainable for the collector who has enough money.

Information about designer, weight, composition, diameter, and mints is listed in a table further down. Click here to go there now.

Capped Bust $2.50 Gold Coin (1808-1834)

(click each image for larger view)
Capped Bust
Quarter Eagle
_______________________________

Capped Bust Quarter Eagle 1808

Capped Head Left Large Size - 20 mm 1821-1827

Capped Head Left Reduced Size - 18.5 mm 1829-1831

The $2.50 gold US coin was changed in 1808 with a more youthful Liberty sporting a new head piece that was more like a beret with the word LIBERTY on the headband.

The 1808 Quarter Eagle is actually a type in itself due to the huge gap between 1808 and 1821 when no $2.50 gold coins were produced.

When they were once again produced, in 1821, Liberty had a smaller head and part of the bust line had been omitted.

There were also two types of this coin:

Capped Head left large size (1821-1827)
Capped Head left reduced size (1829-1834)

All dates in this type are scarce and therefore valuable making them extremely expensive to add to a collection.

Information about designer, weight, composition, diameter, and mints is listed in a table further down. Click here to go there now.

Classic Head $2.50 Gold Coin (1834-1839)

(click image for larger view)
Classic Head
Quarter Eagle
_______________________________

With the Classic Head Type Quarter Eagle, Liberty's hat was replaced with a ribbon bearing the word LIBERTY.

Since gold had been discovered in both Georgia and North Carolina, mintages increased with the Classic Head making them more readily available to collectors for a reasonable price.

Information about designer, weight, composition, diameter, and mints is listed in a table further down.
Click here to go there now.

Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Coin (1840-1907)

(click image for larger view)
Liberty Head
Quarter Eagle
_______________________________

1879 Liberty Head Quarter Eagle

1848 Liberty Head w/CAL $2.50 California Gold Coin

In 1840 Liberty once again was given a make-over. Her hair was put up in a bun and instead of a ribbon in her hair, she was crowned with a coronet inscribed with the word LIBERTY.

This series lasted for over 60 years, so there are a lot of low-mintage dates and expensive rarities.

One piece from this series that I find very interesting is the California gold coin of 1848.

These coins were made at Philadelphia from gold that was shipped all the way from the California gold fields.

They have the letters CAL. punched into the reverse of the coin to signify that they are California gold coins.

Information about designer, weight, composition, diameter, and mints is listed in a table further down. Click here to go there now.

Indian Head $2.50 Gold Coin (1908-1929)

(click image for larger view)
Indian Head
Quarter Eagle
_______________________________

The Indian Head Quarter Eagle is another interesting coin. Instead of the design being raised above the flat surface of the coin, the design on the Indian Head is actually incused, or stamped into the metal of the coin.

The $5 Half Eagle received the same interesting update.

If you find these coins interesting and decide to collect them, you will find that it only takes 15 coins to complete a date and mint set of Indian Head Quarter Eagles.

There is really only one key date, the 1911-D. It can be rather expensive, not because it is rare, but rather because it is a very popular and desirable coin.

Information about designer, weight, composition, diameter, and mints is listed in a table further down. Click here to go there now.

Quarter Eagle ($2.50)
Years Minted	Turban Head - 1796-1807 Capped Bust - 1808-1834 Classic Head - 1834-1839 Liberty-head - 1840-1907 Indian-head - 1908-1929
Designer	Turban Head - Robert Scot Capped Bust - John Reich Classic Head - William Kneass Liberty-head - Christian Gobrecht Indian-head - Bela Lyon Pratt
Weight	Turban Head - 4.37 grams Capped Bust - 4.37 grams Classic Head - 4.18 grams Liberty-head - 4.18 grams Indian-head - 4.18 grams
Composition	Turban Head - .9167 gold, .0833 silver and copper Capped Bust - .9167 gold, .0833 silver and copper Classic Head - *1834-1836* - .8992 gold, .1008 silver and copper *1837-1839* - .900 gold, .100 copper Liberty-head - .900 gold, .100 copper (net weight .12094 oz. pure gold) Indian-head - .900 gold, .100 copper (net weight .12094 oz. pure gold)
Diameter	Turban Head - approx. 20 mm Capped Bust - 1808-1827 - approx. 20 mm *1829-1834* - approx. 18.5 mm Classic Head - 18.2 mm Liberty-head - 18 mm Indian-head - 18 mm
Edge	All - reeded
Mints	Turban Head - Philadelphia Capped Bust - Philadelphia Classic Head - Philadelphia, Charlotte, Dahlonega, New Orleans Liberty-head - Philadelphia, Charlotte, Dahlonega, New Orleans, San Francisco Indian-head - Philadelphia, Denver

For some great deals on U.S. Gold Coins and Coin Supplies visit my friends at Jake's Marketplace, Inc. They have a very comprehensive selection to choose from and give great discounts!