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INDIAN HEAD QUARTER EAGLES - PRATT'S INDIAN HEAD QUARTER EAGLES
Indian Head Quarter Eagle

Pratt's Indian Head Quarter Eagles - The new Indian Head Quarter Eagles were put into production in 1908. Theodore Roosevelt, who had become president as a result of McKinley's assassination in 1901 and was in his second term of office, believed that it was time to reform all United States coinage, which in his opinion was “atrociously hideous.” He wanted to put into place his “pet crime” to improve coinage designs by bypassing the mediocre Mint Engraver, Charles Barber. Earlier Roosevelt prevailed on the world-renown sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, to remake the gold eagle and double eagle coins. Now, influenced by Dr. William Sturgis Bigelow, a friend and art connoisseur, Roosevelt agreed to have Bela Lyon Pratt redesign the gold half eagle and quarter eagle. Roosevelt got the idea of making the coins incuse, like certain ancient Egyptian coins. Certainly this new design would make them different from the coinage that preceded.

The incuse design of the Indian Head Quarter Eagle was an innovation never previously used on circulating United States coinage. The incuse Indian Head Quarter Eagle was criticized by people in banking and numismatics. They felt that the new coins could be easily counterfeited, wouldn’t stack easily, and were unsanitary because dirt would remain in the incused features. However, as a whole, the public was indifferent to the new coins, and the Indian Head Quarter Eagles coins remained in production and circulation until 1929, when the Great Depression caused economic upheaval.

Pratt was an accomplished sculptor and medal maker. A former student of Saint-Gaudens and the Ecole des Beau Arts in Paris, he became an instructor at the Boston Museum School. Prominent among his works were a medal for the President of Harvard University and a bicentennial medal for Yale University. In addition to medals, he also made busts and other sculptures. In 1915 he won a gold medal for an exhibit of seventeen pieces at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in California.

The series was minted from 1908 to 1915 and then from 1925 to 1929. During these years and until the Great Recall of 1933, the coins circulated in commerce. They were often used as birthday and Christmas gifts. Circulated coins are often seen with rubbed spots on the high points. Since they were also used extensively for jewelry, one should be aware of traces of solder or evidence of its removal. Imperfect reeding might indicate this problem, and doubtful coins should be authenticated. Authentication is also recommended for the key coin, the 1911-D, because a number of counterfeits have been seen. Sometimes a 1911 Philadelphia minted coin will have a D mintmark added. In uncirculated grades, the 1911-D is ten times more costly than the plain issue. (All USRCI coins are guaranteed genuine and authenticated by one of the major grading services.)

Another innovation is Pratt’s use of realism in the obverse design. In 1899 a portrait of “Running Antelope” was used on the five dollar silver certificate. Pratt continued this trend by using a realistic portrait of an Indian brave for his emblem of liberty, as required by law. Although his name and tribe are unknown, the motif is a striking departure from the Indian head designs of the past that used stylized busts with fanciful headdresses to be emblematic of liberty. Above the portrait on the obverse is the word LIBERTY and below is the date. Six stars are on the left and seven are on the right. For the reverse, Pratt borrowed from his mentor’s eagle coin and chose the standing eagle motif. The magnificent eagle stands on a bundle of arrows that look like fasces, the Roman symbol of the power to kill, and the olive branch, symbolizing peace. Pratt placed all four inscriptions are on the reverse without it seeming too crowded. E PLURIBUS UNUM is in the left field and IN GOD WE TRUST is in the right. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, separated by dots, arcs above the eagle, and the denomination written as 2 ½ DOLLARS is below. Because it the highest point on the reverse, the mintmark shows wear before any other part of the coin.

Of all the gold coin sets available, the Indian Head Quarter Eagles are the most affordable and obtainable. Even the key 1911-D, with its low mintage of 55,680, is available in uncirculated condition. All the other coins in the series have mintages that range from 240,000 (1914, the second lowest) to 722,000 (1913, the highest).

Specifications:
Edge: Reeded
Weight: 4.18 grams (64.5 grains) (.1344 troy ounces)
Diameter: 18 millimeters
Composition: 90% gold, 10% copper
Gold Content: 3.762 grams (58.049 grains) (.1209 troy ounces)

DATE NOTES
1908 Quarter Eagle 1908 Indian $2.5 NGC PF67 , 1908 Indian Head $2.5 NGC PF67 Most show weak strike on upper part of wing; available in all grades up to MS66; proof coins have heavy matt texture; 221 proofs have been certified by both services.
1909 Quarter Eagle Most are well struck; none certified above MS66. Proof coins are made with Roman Finish; less than 100 proofs known today; 91 proofs have been certified by both services.
1910 Quarter Eagle 1910 Indian Head $2.5 NGC PF67 , 1910 Indian Head $2.5 NGC MS65 Only 21 certified in MS66 with none higher. Proof coins are made with Roman Finish, one was made with a matt finish; 174 proofs have been certified by both services.
1911 Quarter Eagle 1911 Indian Head $2.5 NGC PF68 Usually poorly struck; only 7 certified in MS66 with none higher. Proofs made with matte finish; 175 proofs have been certified by both services.
1911-D Quarter Eagle 1911-D Indian Head $2.5 NGC MS65 , 1911-D Indian Head $2.5 PCGS MS64 Lowest mintage and key to the series; all show a wire rim on the upper right of the obverse; only 5 certified in MS66 with none higher.
1912 Quarter Eagle 1912 Indian Head $2.5 NGC PF67 Common in lower Mint State grades; only 7 certified in MS66 with none higher. Proof coins made with sandblast texture; 100 proofs known today; 82 proofs have been certified by both services.
1913 Quarter Eagle 1913 Indian Head $2.5 NGC PF67 Usually granular planchets; only 8 certified in MS66 with none higher. Proof coins made with sandblast texture; less than 100 proofs known today; 95 proofs have been certified by both services.
1914 Quarter Eagle 1914 Indian $2.5 NGC PF66, 1914 Indian Head $2.5 PCGS MS65 Second lowest mintage of the series; usually well struck; only 5 certified in MS66 with one higher; Proof coins made with a coarse, sandblast texture; 70 to 90 proofs known today; 126 proofs have been certified by both services.
1914-D Quarter Eagle Often weakly struck on obverse feathers; none certified in MS66 and only one in MS67.
1915 Quarter Eagle 1915 Indian Head $2.5 NGC PF67 Usually well struck with good luster; only 10 certified in MS66 with none higher. Proof coins made with a coarse, sandblast texture; 60 to 75 proofs known today; 75 have been certified by both services.
Proof 1915 Quarter Eagle 1915 Indian Head $2.5 NGC PF67 60 to 75 proofs known today.
1925-D Quarter Eagle Most common date in all grades up to MS65; striking quality varies; 85 certified in MS66 with one higher.
1926 Quarter Eagle 1926 Indian Head $2.5 PCGS MS65 Usually sharply struck; easily available in grades up to MS65; 60 certified in MS66 with none higher.
1927 Quarter Eagle 1927 Indian Head $2.5 NGC MS65 Usually sharply struck and lustrous; 26 certified in MS66 with none higher.
1928 Quarter Eagle 1928 Indian Head $2.5 NGC MS65 Often sharply struck and frosty; 26 certified in MS66 with none higher.
1929 Quarter Eagle Except for peripheral weakness usually well struck; only 4 certified in MS66 with one higher.
Indian Head Quarter Eagles


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Indian Head Quarter Eagles Information on Pratts Indian Head Quarter Eagles

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