$2.5 Liberty

Overview

The first $2.50 Quarter Eagle was authorized by Congress April 2, 1792, when the $5 Half Eagle gold coin was also authorized.It has gone through several design changes. In 1840 Christian Gobrecht redesigned the $2.50 gold coin to create the $2.50 Liberty, also referred to as the $2.50 Coronet. Struck from 1841-1907, this is the longest-term design without a major alteration in American coinage history, though some small changes were made to the reverse.

Design

$2.50 Liberty design matches the larger gold coins of the day, such as the $10 and $20 Liberty gold coins. Like the other Liberty gold coins, the obverse (front) features Lady Liberty, whose hair is worn in a tight bun secured by a string of beads, and who has loose curls hanging draping her neck. Her coronet is inscribed “Liberty,” and 13 stars for the 13 original colonies and the issue date surround her.The reverse shows a bald eagle with spread wings, standing among olive branches. The eagle clutches three arrows in his talons and has a shield with stars and stripes over his chest. “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” the denomination and the mint mark surround the eagle.

Minting

The Philadelphia Mint produced $2.50 Liberty gold coins during the coin’s entire circulation, 1840-1907. Before the Civil War, additional pieces were struck at Charlotte, Dahlonega and New Orleans. The San Francisco Mint struck $2.50 Liberty coins occasionally in 1854 and later.

Special Issue

In 1848, the military governor of California sent 230 ounces of pure gold to his secretary of war. This gold was minted into Quarter Eagles with “CAL” above the eagle on the reverse.

Valuation

This is a premium coin, meaning its value is tied to factors other than the value of the spot price of the precious metal it contains. Valuation factors include, but are not limited to, speculative interest, collector and investor demand, available supply, industry promotions, perceived value, economic conditions, and other factors we deem relevant. The value assigned to this coin at any given time may vary from retailer to retailer and Augusta cannot guarantee another retailer will value this premium coin at the same rate as Augusta would in any given circumstance. Augusta cannot guarantee buy-back of any item it sells and cannot guarantee another retailer will purchase this premium coin. For up-to-date market pricing and availability, please contact us directly.