Liberty Head $2.5

The Liberty Head quarter eagle kept Christian Gobrecht's coroneted portrait for nearly seven decades while production shifted among six mints.

This guide covers all cataloged 1840–1907 Liberty Head $2.50 issues, including proofs and the modeled CAL and overdate varieties.

Core specifications

Issue period

1840–1907

Catalog mints

5

Reported catalog mintage

11,926,558

Composition

90% Gold - 10% Copper

Diameter

18 mm

Weight

4.18 g

One small gold design across expansion and war

Gobrecht's quarter eagle followed the 1834 weight standard and became a durable national design.

Southern and western branch-mint production, Civil War interruptions, proof-only records, and late Philadelphia output create the real structure beneath an apparently unchanged portrait.

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 coroneted Liberty faces left, surrounded by thirteen stars with the date below.

Denomination, subject, and mint mark

An eagle with shield holds arrows and an olive branch, with 2 1/2 D. below and no added motto type division.

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: 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907; 9,614,048. Philadelphia issues commonly carry no P mint mark in classic series; confirm the expected blank area rather than searching for a letter.
• O — New Orleans: 1840, 1842, 1843, 1845, 1846, 1847, 1850, 1851, 1852, 1854, 1856, 1857; 1,187,482. Confirm the O mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
• S — San Francisco: 1854, 1856, 1857, 1859, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879; 745,502. Confirm the S mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
• C — C: 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 1851, 1852, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1858, 1860; 191,813. Confirm the C mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
• D — Denver: 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1859; 187,713. Confirm the D mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.

Representative issues that explain the series

A Philadelphia type coin is approachable; a complete mint study becomes difficult quickly because Charlotte, Dahlonega, New Orleans, and early San Francisco issues differ sharply in survival.

• 1841 P — 15. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
• 1854 S — 246. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
• 1863 P - Proof Only — 30. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
• 1875 P — 420. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
• 1896 P — 19,202. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
• 1907 P — 336,448. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.

Start with the major type, then study smaller die differences

The current catalog records 2 varieties. A variety name describes repeatable die features; it does not automatically mean error, rarity, or added value.

The issue catalog keeps all 2 modeled varieties attached to their parent issue records.

Issue catalog

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.
• Variety study: Choose one date or diagnostic family and record several matching markers for every attribution.

A note on catalog records

This page uses 145 issue records, 2 modeled varieties, and currently reported mintages; unknown values remain unknown.

Sources

1. The Evolution of Liberty on U.S. Coins — United States Mint
2. Gold Eagle Coins and Their History — United States Mint
3. Liberty Head $2.5 category reference — PCGS CoinFacts