1908 $2 1/2 Indian Head NGC MS63

Introduction

The 1908 $2.50 Indian Head Quarter Eagle graded NGC MS63 is a choice Mint State example from the first year of one of America's most distinctive gold coin series. Designed by sculptor Bela Lyon Pratt, the Indian Head Quarter Eagle departed dramatically from traditional U.S. coinage by placing its principal design elements below the surface of the coin. Certified MS63 by Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC), this example combines Mint State preservation, classic pre-1933 gold, and the historical significance of a first-year issue.

History

The Indian Head Quarter Eagle was introduced in 1908 as part of the transformation of American gold coinage encouraged by President Theodore Roosevelt. Sculptor Bela Lyon Pratt created the new $2.50 and $5 gold designs, using an innovative incuse technique in which the principal devices and inscriptions were recessed into the surface rather than raised above it.

The Philadelphia Mint struck 564,821 business-strike Quarter Eagles in 1908. As the inaugural issue of the series, the 1908 was saved in meaningful numbers by collectors and the public, helping make it one of the more obtainable dates in Mint State today. The Indian Head Quarter Eagle continued through 1929, with a break in production after 1915 before coinage resumed in 1925.

Design

The obverse features a left-facing Native American portrait wearing a feathered headdress. Thirteen stars surround the portrait, with the inscription LIBERTY above and the date 1908 below. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST appears to the left of the portrait.

The reverse depicts a standing bald eagle perched on a bundle of arrows with an olive branch alongside. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA appears above the eagle, while E PLURIBUS UNUM and the denomination 2 1/2 DOLLARS complete the design. Pratt's recessed treatment of the major design elements gives the coin a distinctive appearance unlike nearly any other circulating U.S. coinage.