Bela Lyon Pratt's Indian $2.50 reverses the usual relief relationship: the design is sunk below the fields, making wear and surface interpretation distinctive.

This guide covers the 1908–1929 Philadelphia and Denver quarter eagles, including the interrupted production sequence.

Core specifications

Issue period
1908–1929
Catalog mints
2
Reported catalog mintage
7,252,088
Composition
90% Gold - 10% Copper
Diameter
18 mm
Weight
4.18 g

A radical surface treatment enters circulation

Pratt developed a recessed design at the urging of President Theodore Roosevelt's wider coinage redesign effort.

The compact format and incuse devices survived through several production gaps before the final 1929 issue.

Obverse, reverse, and the details that identify the type

Confirm the major design, date, and mint mark before studying smaller die differences.

The main portrait and date

A Native American portrait in feathered headdress faces left; LIBERTY, stars, and the date are recessed into the field.

Denomination, subject, and mint mark

A standing eagle rests on arrows and an olive branch, with denomination and national mottoes around it.

Where the cataloged coins were made

Totals are calculated from reported issue records in this catalog; unknown figures are not counted as zero.

  • P — Philadelphia: 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929; 6,170,408. Philadelphia issues commonly carry no P mint mark in classic series; confirm the expected blank area rather than searching for a letter.
  • D — Denver: 1911, 1914, 1925; 1,081,680. Confirm the D mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.

Representative issues that explain the series

The 1911-D is the familiar key, but strike, luster, recessed-device wear, and surface originality matter across every date.

  • 1908 P — 565,057. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1911 D — 55,680. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1914 P — 240,117. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1914 D — 448,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1929 P — 532,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.

Issue catalog

1908 P Indian $2.51909 P Indian $2.51910 P Indian $2.51911 P Indian $2.51911 D Indian $2.51912 P Indian $2.51913 P Indian $2.51914 P Indian $2.51914 D Indian $2.51915 P Indian $2.51925 D Indian $2.51926 P Indian $2.51927 P Indian $2.51928 P Indian $2.51929 P Indian $2.5

From one type coin to a complete catalog

  • One representative coin: Choose one problem-free, readable example and learn the size, edge, and major design.
  • Major-type set: Use one coin per major design to show changes in artwork, composition, or production.
  • Dates and mints: Work through the issue catalog by date and mint, defining special finishes separately.

A note on catalog records

This page uses 15 issue records, 0 modeled varieties, and currently reported mintages; unknown values remain unknown.

Sources

  1. Gold Eagle Coins and Their History — United States Mint
  2. Indian $2.5 category reference — PCGS CoinFacts