1909 $2.50 Indian Gold Quarter Eagle MS-64 PCGS

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The 1909 United States gold quarter eagle represents a fascinating departure from traditional coinage methods. Created by the artist Bela Lyon Pratt, this two and a half dollar piece features an innovative incuse design, meaning the details and inscriptions are sunken below the flat surface of the coin rather than raised above it. This distinctive approach gives the coin a remarkably flat profile and a unique tactile quality. On the obverse, a Native American figure wearing a traditional feathered headdress faces left, surrounded by thirteen stars representing the original colonies. The word "LIBERTY" is inscribed along the top curve, with the 1909 date positioned at the bottom. This particular coin was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which is indicated by the absence of any mint mark on the surface. The reverse displays a proud bald eagle perched upon a bundle of arrows, which are wrapped in an olive branch. The inscriptions "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and the denomination "2 1/2 DOLLARS" frame the eagle, while the traditional mottos "E PLURIBUS UNUM" and "IN GOD WE TRUST" are nested in the open fields. Struck from 0.900 fine gold, this coin contains 0.12094 troy ounces of precious metal. Out of an original mintage of 441,760 pieces, this specimen has survived in remarkable condition, certified as Mint State 64, preserving its sharp details and original luster for over a century.