1860 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Quarter Eagle Coin

1860 Liberty Head $2.50 quarter eagles are a favorite collector item among numismatists who enjoy 19th-century coins. In 1860, three minting facilities struck the quarter eagle, including those in Philadelphia, Charlotte (C), and San Francisco (S). In 1859, the reverse design was modified on Philadelphia quarter eagles, with the letters being brought down in size. However, some Philadelphia quarter eagles were made with the older reverse, which featured large lettering.

Here is a rundown of the mintages and values for 1860 Liberty Head quarter eagle gold coins:

• 1860 Old Reverse, 22,563 minted; $1,250

• 1860 New Reverse, mintage included above; $566

• 1860-C, 7,469; $1,850

• 1860-S, 35,600; $772

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

1860 Liberty Head $2.50 gold coins are made from a composition of 90 percent gold and 10 percent copper, which is the typical “coin gold” alloy for gold coinage of the era. 1860 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.

1860 $2.50 gold coins were designed by Christian Gobrecht. He served as the U.S. Mint’s chief engraver and gained fame for designing the Seated Liberty coinage, which ran from the late 1830s through 1891.