The 1910 Indian Head Quarter Eagle features the unusual incuse
design created in 1908 by Bela Lyon Pratt for use on the $2.50
and $5.00 gold coins. For the first time in American numismatics,
the main features and legends of the coin were impressed into
the surface instead of being raised above it. When this design
first appeared, critics feared that germs and dirt would accumulate
in the many crevices of the coin -- a fear that never materialized.
Only 492,000 Quarter Eagles were struck in 1910
(plus 682 Proofs), making it somewhat scarce yet still affordable.
None (for Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania) left of the arrowheads on the reverse.
The 1910 is very similar in overall
rarity to the 1909, but it is slightly more available
in higher grades. It is considerably rarer than the
1908 in high grades and many times rarer than the
1926-1928 Philadelphia issues in Mint State-65.
STRIKE: This is one of the
best struck early date Indian Head Quarter Eagles.
On the obverse, the only area that is not generally
well detailed is the part of the headdress covering
the Indian's ear. The eagle's wing feathers are sharp
and the breast feathers are often fully detailed.
On some 1910 Quarter Eagles, there is some swelling
of the die noted that is probably the result of die
buckling. This does not affect the value.
SURFACES: The 1910 Quarter
Eagle is a very hard issue to locate without abrasions.
In addition, many are seen with mint-made spots or
small planchet problems. It is very hard to locate
a coin that has clean, undisturbed surfaces and such
pieces appear to be significantly undervalued in today's
market.
LUSTER: The luster is considerably better on
this issue than it is on the 1908 and the 1909. It
is frosty in texture with some areas of satiny surfaces
mixed into the reverse fields.
COLORATION:
The natural coloration is a medium to deep yellow
gold shades. Less often, 1910 Quarter Eagles have
orange-gold color.
EYE APPEAL:
The overall level of eye appeal seen on the 1910 Quarter
Eagle is below average. While most are well struck,
it is very hard to find a piece that is not severely
abraded and, which does not have impaired luster.
Condition Census: To qualify for the Condition Census,
a 1910 Indian Head Quarter Eagle must grade Mint State-66.
Proofs: The
mintage figure for Proof 1910 Quarter Eagles is listed
as 682 pieces, but this is almost certainly incorrect.
Based on the number known to exist, it is much more
likely that the original mintage figure was somewhere
in the area of 175 to 200. Of these, an estimated
75 to 90 coins exist today. The coloration is similar
to that seen on the 1909 proofs with a distinctive
yellow-gold appearance and the so-called Roman Gold
finish. Proofs are usually seen in the Proof-63 to
Proof-64 range and Gem examples are quite rare.
The
reported mintage of 682 pieces in Proof does not reflect
the true rarity of this date. Either two-thirds of
these coins were melted by the Mint as unsold, but
not removed from the reported mintage, or the reported
mintage is simply incorrect. The number of coins graded
by PCGS and NGC over the past 19 years reflects that
approximately 200 examples were released. The total
Proofs graded for the 1909 issue is 109 coins, the
1910 issue is 222 coins and the 1911 issue is 229
coins. The 1910 Proofs were struck in the "Roman
Gold" finish as seen in 1909, a lighter yellow
gold with more reflective surfaces than seen on the
matte Proofs of 1908.
COLORATION:
The natural coloration is a medium to deep yellow
gold shades. Less often, 1910 Quarter Eagles have
orange-gold color.
The
reported mintage of 682 pieces in Proof does not reflect
the true rarity of this date. Either two-thirds of
these coins were melted by the Mint as unsold, but
not removed from the reported mintage, or the reported
mintage is simply incorrect. The number of coins graded
by PCGS and NGC over the past 19 years reflects that
approximately 200 examples were released. The total
Proofs graded for the 1909 issue is 109 coins, the
1910 issue is 222 coins and the 1911 issue is 229
coins. The 1910 Proofs were struck in the "Roman
Gold" finish as seen in 1909, a lighter yellow
gold with more reflective surfaces than seen on the
matte Proofs of 1908.