1866 Liberty Head $2.50 Gold Quarter Eagle Coin

1866 Liberty Head $2.50 quarter eagles are popular collectible coins that numismatists respect for their art, history, and gold content. Only the Philadelphia and San Francisco (S) mints struck quarter eagles in 1866, with the San Francisco Mint producing nearly 11 times more $2.50 gold coins than the facility in Philadelphia. By the 1860s, the bulk of the U.S. gold coinage was circulating in the West.

Here’s a look at the mintages and values of 1866 $2.50 quarter eagles:

• 1866, 3,080 minted; $1,150

• 1866-S, 38,960; $656

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

1866 quarter eagles were made of a composition consisting of 90 percent gold and 10 percent copper, which is an alloy widely referred to as “coin gold.” They also weigh 4.18 grams and measure 18 millimeters in diameter, meaning they are about the same size as a modern U.S. dime. 1866 gold quarter eagle coins contain a total of 0.1202 ounces of gold.

Christian Gobrecht, who had served as the U.S. Mint’s chief engraver, designed the 1866 quarter eagle gold coins. Gobrecht is also widely known for having designed Seated Liberty coinage, which ran from the late 1830s through 1891.