1842-O $2.50 (1842-O Quarter Eagle) NGC AU55 CAC. Traces of subdued mint luster remain in the protected areas of this Southern branch mint 1842-O Quarter Eagle. It is a crusty, original coin with copper-rose highlights. While soft in the centers, like most coins of this date and mint, the obverse strike indicators are strong. The stars have full details as do the highest points of Liberty’s hair. Both sides show full dentils. There is sufficient separation between Liberty’s coronet and top hair to warrant the grade, which is confirmed by CAC. Its sticker is only placed on coins that meet stringent standards for quality within a grade.

Christian Gobrecht’s quarter eagle was produced without substantial modification from 1840 to 1907, the longest span in any United States coinage series. It uses the Coronet design which shows Liberty in profile facing left, her hair tied tightly in beads, except for two curls one down the back of her neck and the other on the side below her ear, with the word LIBERTY inscribed on the coronet. She is surrounded by thirteen stars, and the date is below the truncation. Dentils are around the periphery of both sides. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle facing left holding arrows and olive branch it its talons. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA arcs around it, interrupted by the wing tips, and the denomination 2 ½ D. is below. The denomination is separated from the legend with dots. The mintmark is below the eagle, in this case touching the arrow’s feather, and above the denomination.

The New Orleans Mint was authorized in 1835 by President Andrew Jackson, hero of the battle of New Orleans. The bill that Jackson signed also authorized the mints at Charlotte and Dahlonega. William Strickland, a Philadelphia architect designed all three branch mint buildings. The Mint building was made in the solid, bulky Greek Revival style of architecture. It was the largest of the three branch mints and located at major port of entry. Unfortunately Strickland did not account for the soft ground around the site. Because of it, the building had to undergo numerous repairs throughout its history.

Authorized to produce gold and silver, the New Orleans Mint struck quarter eagles and dimes in 1839. It operated from 1838 to 1909. In that time period 427 million silver and gold coins with the O mintmark were coined. By the mid 1850’s denominations made in New Orleans included three cent silver pieces, half dimes, dimes, quarters, half dollars, silver dollars, gold dollars, quarter eagles, three dollar pieces, half eagles, eagles, and double eagles. The first deposit was of Mexican dollars which amounted to more than 32,400 dollars. The first coins struck were Liberty Seated Dimes. Each year between the beginning of August and the end of November, the mint closed because of the annual outbreak of yellow fever.

In its population report, NGC shows 17 1842-O quarter eagles in AU55 with 35 better. As of October 2011, CAC has confirmed 1, the present coin in AU55, with 3 better.