1850 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Quarter Eagle Coin

1850 Liberty Head $2.50 quarter eagles are historic gold coins that numismatists have long enjoyed collecting. 1850 gold quarter eagles were struck at several different mints, including those in Philadelphia, Charlotte (C), Dahlonega (D), and New Orleans (O). Though all 1850-dated quarter eagles are scarce, those struck at the Charlotte and Dahlonega mints are, overall, the most elusive. In general, these coins were not saved in substantial quantities, and most have been lost or melted.

Here is a look at the mintages and values for 1850 Liberty Head quarter eagle gold coins:

• 1850, 252,923 minted; $564

• 1850-C, 9,148; $1,500

• 1850-D, 12,148; $1,600

• 1850-O, 84,000; $595

*Values are for coins grading Very Fine-20, unless otherwise noted.

Liberty Head quarter eagle gold coins consist of a 90 percent gold and 10 percent copper composition – the ordinary “coin gold” alloy for gold coins of the time period. 1850-dated Liberty Head $2.50 gold coins weigh 4.18 grams and have a diameter of 18 millimeters, meaning they are roughly the diameter of a standard U.S. dime. These gold quarter eagle coins contain a total of 0.1202 ounces of gold.

1850 $2.50 gold coins were designed by Christian Gobrecht, who served as the U.S. Mint’s chief engraver. He is also well noted as the designer of Seated Liberty coinage, which ran from the late 1830s through 1891.