1861 Type 1 Quarter Eagle (1861 Type 1 $2.5) NGC AU55 CAC. Creamy Civil War Date. Looks 58. This premium quality quarter eagle has bright luster on the top of the hair on Libertys head and on the hair under the coronet. On the reverse the eagles head and wings are lustrous. Aside from a minor mark above the eagles head and a couple that are hidden in the feathers, the coin is free of contact marks. It shows a slight bit of wear on the high points and is certainly worthy of the AU55 grade, which is confirmed by its CAC sticker.

From its overall appearance, the coin could have easily graded AU58. The 1861 Type I reverse quarter eagle is extremely rare. It was made from a die from 1859 or earlier. It has long arrowheads that are close together. Most Type I eagles of this date had been stored in the New York Subtreasury facility. They were melted and recoined into Type II reverse quarter eagles.

The CAC population report shows 3 with 2 finer (MS62, MS63).