Numismatic

1878 $2.50 Liberty Gold Quarter Eagle AU

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The year 1878 marked a classic era in American coinage, represented beautifully by this gold quarter eagle. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, this coin has survived in Almost Uncirculated condition, preserving the intricate details of its nineteenth-century artistry. With a composition containing 0.12094 ounces of gold, this piece belongs to a total mintage of 286,240 coins produced that year. The obverse features a left-facing portrait of Liberty, her hair bound by a band displaying the word LIBERTY. Thirteen stars encircle the portrait, representing the original colonies. On the reverse, a heraldic eagle stands with a shield across its chest, clutching an olive branch and arrows. The eagle is surrounded by the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the denomination, abbreviated as 2 1/2 D. This specific design, created by Christian Gobrecht, enjoyed an incredibly long production run from 1840 to 1907. Discovering a survivor from 1878 offers a direct window into the craftsmanship of a bygone era of United States coinage.