Liberty Head Quarter Eagle — $2½
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
United States • 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy
Issue years: 1840–1907
Fine gold: 0.120938 troy oz
United States • 2.50 U.S. dollars
Indian Head Quarter Eagle — Incuse $2½
Indian Head Quarter Eagle — Incuse $2½ has nominal fine gold of 0.1209375 troy oz (3.761577 g) at the historical .900 standard. This original Pratt-designed $2.50 gold coin has recessed design details. It is separate from the $5 Indian Head coin and the larger raised-relief $10 Indian Head eagle.
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History; photograph by Jaclyn Nash; paired photograph separated and resized · Image source · Public domain — U.S. federal Smithsonian photograph
National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History; photograph by Jaclyn Nash; paired photograph separated and resized · Image source · Public domain — U.S. federal Smithsonian photograph
When a fresh spot bid is available, melt values use fine-metal content × spot bid. CashForCoins guide buying offers use the separately configured percentage for each metal. Selected rare/numismatic coins require an appraisal. Dollar amounts remain unavailable when a fresh quote or buying percentage is missing.
Verified coin specifications
- Country
- United States
- Face denomination
- 2.50 U.S. dollars
- Composition
- 90% gold, 10% alloy metal; historical copper or copper/silver alloy
- Gross weight (grams)
- 4.1795297
- Fineness
- 0.9
- Fine-metal weight (troy oz)
- 0.1209375
- Diameter (mm)
- 18
- Edge
- Reeded
- Mint
- United States Mint; mint facility varies by issue
- Mint mark
- Varies by issue; inspect reference
- Issue years
- 1908–1915, 1925–1929
No Indian Head quarter eagles were issued in 1916–1924. Mint marks and proof finishes still require issue-specific attribution.
- Source precision
- Nominal 64.5-grain gross standard; .900 gold; exact modern unit conversion stored to 8 decimals; fine-weight override derived from historical standard. Catalog reference diameter, not a tolerance or authentication threshold.
Calculate this coin’s metal content
Formula: specified fine-metal troy ounces × quantity. Dollar melt value additionally requires an approved current metal price.
Obverse: identify the front
The pictured 1908 coin has a left-facing Native American portrait, LIBERTY above, stars around the sides and the date below. The portrait and lettering sit below the surrounding field rather than forming a conventional raised design.
Reverse: identify the back
A perched eagle stands on arrows with a branch, surrounded by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and 2½ DOLLARS. The inscriptions sit in the field with the incuse design. Check the bottom denomination before choosing the half-eagle calculation.
History and purpose
The Mint identifies Bela Lyon Pratt as designer of the Indian Head quarter and half eagles and describes their unusual incuse relief. The quarter eagle replaced the older Liberty Head design in 1908 while retaining its denomination’s nominal gold standard.
How to identify this variant
Use the recessed portrait and eagle together with 2½ DOLLARS and the nominal 18 mm diameter. The matching $5 design looks similar at photograph scale but has a different size and twice the nominal fine gold.
Understanding its metal content
The historical standard is 64.5 grains gross at .900 fineness. Multiply 64.5 by .900 and divide by 480 grains per troy ounce: 0.1209375 fine-gold troy oz. Gross metric mass is derived using 0.06479891 g per grain; the displayed 4.17952970 g is a conversion of the nominal standard, not an assay or the measured mass of a worn coin. The remaining 10% is alloy metal; historical legislation permitted copper or a copper/silver alloy.
Dates, varieties and composition changes
The specialist series range is 1908–1929. Production was interrupted between the 1915 and 1925 issues, so the broad year range must not be read as a claim of continuous annual minting. Mint attribution is issue-specific.
Melt value versus collector value
Keep recessed details and surrounding fields free from polishing. A mint mark, original surface or individual issue can influence collector evaluation. The library does not infer an uncirculated grade from the absence of high raised relief.
Authenticity and condition
Inspect both incuse designs, date, denomination, edge and physical specifications. A gold-colored recessed design can be replicated, and a photograph cannot confirm fineness. Preserve the coin and request examination where observations conflict.
Selling this coin
List these separately from $5 Indian Head coins. Include a sharp reverse showing 2½ DOLLARS and any mint-mark detail, together with the portrait/date. Keep any grading label with the coin for the appraisal.
Sources and calculation methodology
The historical Mint report and Coinage Act document nominal gold standards; NIST documents the unit conversions. The fine-weight override retains the result from grains instead of recalculating from a rounded catalog gram weight. Design and date references are separate from photographs. These calculations describe correctly identified genuine coins at standard weight. No approved live gold-price feed is configured, so dollar melt values remain unavailable. A collector assessment and a purchase offer are separate from metal content.
Common questions
Are the recessed details damage?
Incuse relief is an intentional feature of Pratt’s design. Damage or wear can also occur, so the actual surface still needs examination.
Was this quarter eagle issued every year from 1908 to 1929?
No. The series includes a production interruption between the 1915 and 1925 issues. A broad date range is not an annual issue list.
References
- U.S. Mint: Historical gold eagle designs — identity; dates Indian quarter eagle design introduced 1908; design Bela Lyon Pratt incuse Native American portrait and perched eagle (checked 2026-10-10)
- Historical Coinage Act of 1873, sections 13–14 — weight 64.5 grains; fineness .900; gold-alloy standard; historical reference, not current legal guidance (checked 2026-10-10)
Issue-year references
Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-10. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.
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