1862 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Quarter Eagle Coin

1862 Liberty Head $2.50 gold coins are a favorite collector item among numismatists who enjoy 19th-century coins. In 1862, two mints produced the quarter eagle, including those in Philadelphia and San Francisco (S) mints. There was an interesting die variety created at the Philadelphia mint, which saw an 1862/1 overdate.

Here is a look at the mintages and values for 1862 Liberty Head quarter eagle gold coins:

• 1862, 98,508 minted; $642

• 1862 2/1 overdate, mintage included above; $1,000

• 1862-S, 8,000; $1,750

*Values are for coins grading Very Fine-20, unless otherwise noted.

1862 Liberty Head $2.50 quarter eagle gold coins are made from a composition of 90 percent gold and 10 percent copper, a standard “coin gold” alloy for gold coinage of the era. 1862 Liberty Head $2.50 gold quarter eagles weigh 4.18 grams and measure 18 millimeters in diameter, which means they are approximately the breadth as a standard U.S. dime. These gold quarter eagle coins contain a total of 0.1202 ounces of gold.

1862 quarter eagle gold coins were designed by Christian Gobrecht, who had served as the U.S. Mint’s chief engraver. He would also gain fame for designing the Seated Liberty coinage, which ran from the late 1830s through 1891.