1912 Indian Head $2.5 Gold Quarter Eagles NGC MS61

Why Purchase This 1912 Indian Head Gold Quarter Eagle?

When sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens redesigned the Eagle and Double Eagle gold coins in 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt also commissioned new Quarter Eagle and Half Eagle gold coins with the same image. Saint-Gaudens' unfortunate death from cancer in August 1907 led Roosevelt to turn to a different artist to reimagine Saint-Gaudens' work for the smaller coins. Roosevelt's friend, William Sturgis Bigelow, encouraged him to enlist the help of Boston sculptor Bela Lyon Pratt for the project. The result was a reeded-edge Quarter Eagle coin struck on a .900 fine gold round with a Native American motif inspired by Saint-Gaudens' work. This 1912 Quarter Eagle contains .1209 ounce actual gold weight (ACW) and was graded Mint State 61 by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC).

A Brilliant Solution

One of the first obstacles the United States Mint team encountered was incorporating all of the inscriptions required for legal currency into Pratt's new design. The solution was a revolutionary minting technique called an incuse (recessed) design. The incuse design made the coin surface flat with the design elements recessed below the surface plane. The high-relief elements rose no higher than the coin's surface plane, protecting the design and allowing the coins to stack properly. The stacking issue was of vital importance to merchants to ensure the coin would be a viable option for widespread use in business transactions. The recess-minted Indian Head Gold Quarter Eagles and Half Eagles remain the only incuse coins ever minted as United States circulated currency.

The obverse of the coin features a left-facing profile of a proud Native American male donning a feathered headdress. The inscriptions "LIBERTY" and "1912" frame the profile top and bottom while 13 stars flank it left and right. The sculptor's initials, "BLP," are inscribed in tiny letters above the mint year. The reverse of the coin features a bald eagle standing on several arrows and holding an olive branch in its left talon. The inscriptions "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," E PLURIBUS UNUM" and "IN GOD WE TRUST" and the denomination of "2 1/2 DOLLARS" surround the eagle symbol.

Don't Delay! Order Your 1912 Indian Head Gold Quarter Eagle Coin Today!