Quarter Eagle Gold 2.5 Dollar

Early Quarter Eagles were rare at the time of mintage and only more so due to melting, loss and increased collector demand. The first variety of the $2.50 coin was struck in 1796 at the Philadelphia Mint and it was composed of 90% gold and measured 20 millimeters in diameter. All of the first varieties depicted a capped Liberty bust on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse, though styles varied over the years.

In 1834 and 1837, Congress mandated a reduction in the weight of gold coins. As a result, the quarter eagle was redesigned and the profile of a Classic Head was adopted. In 1840, the Liberty Head motif was adopted, ushering in the longest period of time that a single design was used on a coin. The design was used until 1907 when suddenly and without notice it was abandoned in favor of an Indian head design. While the change was unexpected, the decision to use an Indian motif is unsurprising as such designs were popular on other coins at the time. In addition, the striking method was revised so that design elements were incused into fields rather than raised up from them. Despite the changes, the coins were unpopular and remained in production only until 1915. A second round of production began in 1925, but by 1929 the denomination was suspended indefinitely.

Quarter Eagle Gold 2.5 Dollar coins