Gold Quarter Eagle
The gold quarter eagle, worth $2.50 face worth, was authorized by the Mint Act of April 2, 1792, though the primary cash of this denomination did not appear till 1796. In a little bit of an odd twist, nowhere on the coin is the face value denoted.
The first gold quarter eagle was the Capped Bust to Right type of 1796-1807. The obverse exhibits Liberty wearing a head turban modern with ladies of the late 18th century. For a very long time, the turban was incorrectly thought by many to be a liberty cap derived from historic Rome, as was the case with other United States coinage. Analysis later uncovered the 1825 writings of Mint Director Samuel Moore, who verified the true nature of Liberty’s head attire. For that reason, numismatists also name this the Turban Head type. An instance is seen straight below.
Less than 20,000 Turban Head Quarter Eagles have been minted. Tensions between the U.S. and Europe all through the 1790s and early 1800s drove European gold prices higher. Bullion sellers exploited this case by obtaining American gold coinage in change for comparatively cheap Mexican silver and exporting it to abroad melting pots at a substantial profit. The risk of quick doom enormously curtailed manufacturing of all U.S. gold coins in the course of the earliest years below the Constitution.
The Mint employed John Reich as Assistant Engraver in 1807. Reich was a extremely reputed German die sinker who arrived within the United States as an indentured servant in 1801. After six years of failing to safe everlasting employment on the Mint due to internal politics (apparently, no one needed to offend the sensibilities of Chief Engraver Robert Scot), Reich started making plans to return to Germany. Via the intervention of President Thomas Jefferson, the assistant’s position was created for Reich to retain his talent.
Reich immediately got down to improve the appearance of United States coinage, including a brand new gold quarter eagle, released in 1808. Reich depicted Miss Liberty facing left, carrying a mobcap decorated with the phrase LIBERTY. The Capped Bust to Left, generally often called the Capped Draped sort, featured a somewhat reasonable eagle extending its wings sitting atop an olive branch, while holding arrows suggesting pressure, if crucial, to defend itself. Reich’s eagle reverse would remain a fixture on U.S. coinage for the next a hundred years.
The Capped Bust to Left Quarter Eagle was in production for the 12 months 1808 only. A single set of 1808 dies had been made, and numismatists theorize it broke after only 2710 pieces have been made. Thereafter, quarter eagle gold coinage was suspended as a result of continued threat posed by international bullion dealers.
Quarter eagle manufacturing resumed in 1821. Though gold coinage nonetheless had hassle remaining in circulation due to its excessive intrinsic metal value, a number of banks deposited gold bullion from Mexico and requested quarter eagles in return underneath the Mint’s “Free Coinage” policy. Reich resigned from the Mint in 1817 in disgust over his stagnated wage of $50/month, so the duty of resurrecting the quarter eagle fell to Robert Scot.
Scot’s Capped Head to Left sort was nothing more than a barely modified version of Reich’s 1808 design. At age seventy seven and with failing eyesight, Scot was in all probability lower than the task of originating a brand new design from scratch. Probably the most noticeable distinction was a 1.5 mm (.059 inches) lower in diameter. The load remained consistent, so the 1821 quarter eagle version was thicker than its predecessors. In 1829, the diameter was reduced by one other .three mm. The Capped Head to Left was minted in small numbers practically every year till 1834, but by no means gained a foothold in American society because its gold content was worth more than its face value, making it subject to exportation and melting.
At Valueincoins.com you will find products, information, and resources on quarter eagles, 1914 quarter eagle, and gold quarter eagle coin.
Cash4gold .50 Gold Quarter Eagle – An All Time Favorite Go
Tags: collecting, eagle,, map, quarter, quarter eagle, quarter eagle gold coin, quarter eagle gold coin value, quarter eagle value, quarter eagles football drill, travel