1910 Indian Head $2.50 Quarter Eagle

1910 Indian Head $2.50 quarter eagles are generally on par with the rest of the series in terms of scarceness. Designed by Bela Lyon Pratt, the Indian Head quarter eagle was first produced in 1908, replacing the Liberty Head quarter eagle that had been in production from 1840 through 1907. The new quarter eagle features a left-facing Indian on the obverse and a standing eagle on the reverse. This coin also features an incuse design – one of only two U.S. coins minted so far to feature a sunken design. The only other U.S. coin with an incuse design is the Indian Head half eagle, also designed by Pratt. These incuse coins were panned by the public at large, fearing germs would be caught inside the sunken design. Those fears, as you may have guessed, were unfounded.

Here’s a look at the mintages and values for 1910 Indian Head $2.50 quarter eagles:

• 1910, 492,000 minted; $513

• 1910 proof, 682; $5,000

*Values are for coins in a grade of Very Fine 20, unless otherwise noted.

Relatively few Indian Head quarter eagles were saved, making this type quite scarce in the uncirculated grades. Because of this circumstance, you should consider buying only certified examples of the uncirculated coins to ensure that you are buying truly mint state coins.