1913 Indian Head $2.50 Quarter Eagle

1913 Indian Head $2.50 quarter eagles were originally the most common in the series, in terms of their mintage. Of course, with the mass melting of pre-1934 gold coins later in the 20th century, there’s really no telling precisely how many 1913 Indian Head quarter eagles are left. Suffice it to say, all pre-1934 U.S. gold coinage is scarce and when it comes to the number of uncirculated Indian Head quarter eagles, the numbers are not very high. The dearth of Mint State Indian Head quarter eagles really owes to the fact that very few were saved to begin with. They were not much appreciated by numismatists, and the public believed the incuse design would harbor bacteria (which is untrue).

Here’s a breakdown of original mintages and the approximate values of 1913 Indian Head quarter eagles:

• 1913, 722,000 minted; $514

• 1913 proof, 165; $5,000

*Values are for coins in a grade of Very Fine 20, unless otherwise noted.

As few Indian Head quarter eagles were saved in the Mint State grades, it makes sense to be extra cautious when buying uncirculated specimens, as many buffed and cleaned examples exist. Be sure to only certified examples of the uncirculated coins Indian Head quarter eagles from reputable coin dealers.