1925-D Indian Head $2.50 Gold Quarter Eagle, Denver Mint, 90% Gold, 0.1209 oz Gold, 1925's Only Quarter Eagle Issue, 578,000 Struck, Bela Lyon Pratt Incuse Design, KM#128 [Est. AU]
Description
A 1925-D Indian Head quarter eagle ($2 1/2 gold piece) struck at the Denver Mint, with the D mint mark on the reverse left of the arrowheads, KM#128. The obverse shows a Native American chief in a feathered war bonnet facing left, with LIBERTY above, 13 stars, the date below and Pratt's initials B.L.P. above the date. The reverse shows a standing eagle on a bundle of arrows with an olive branch, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, IN GOD WE TRUST and 2 1/2 DOLLARS. The design is incuse: sunk into the coin instead of raised, so the flat fields are the highest part. 90% gold, 10% copper, 4.18 grams and 18 mm standard, reeded edge, 0.1209 oz of pure gold. Measured: 4.15 grams, 17.75 to 17.78 mm, 1.10 mm thick. Tested on a Sigma Metalytics precious metal verifier, 22K gold setting: resistivity 10.70 µΩ·cm, conductivity 9.3 MS/m, reading inside the window. The close-ups show the date with the B.L.P. initials, the portrait, the eagle and the D mint mark.
Read the full description
Historical Context
President Theodore Roosevelt pushed for new, more artistic US coins, and Boston physician Dr. William Sturgis Bigelow suggested the incuse design for sculptor Bela Lyon Pratt, inspired by ancient Egyptian art. The quarter eagle first appeared in 1908. After a pause from 1916 through 1924, production resumed in 1925, and that year only the Denver Mint struck quarter eagles: 578,000 coins and no proofs. It was the last of Denver's three quarter eagle issues, after 1911 and 1914. David Akers, a leading authority on US gold coins, considered the 1925-D the hardest date in the series to find in Gem Mint State, because unstable dies and soft strikes troubled the issue.
Buying Power
In 1925 this $2 1/2 gold piece had the buying power of about $48.13 today.
Condition
[Est. AU] Circulated, with light wear on the cheekbone, the war bonnet and the eagle's shoulder and wing (see the photos). Light marks and fine scratches in the fields, as usual on this incuse design. A small red-brown spot below the lower lip, and a few tiny raised specks in the reverse field above IN GOD WE TRUST. The D mint mark is clear, although PCGS notes it is often faint on this issue. Checked for documented varieties: PCGS lists none for 1925-D. Grade estimated; not professionally graded. Currently still legal tender, but worth far more for its gold and to collectors than its $2.50 face value.
Also In Our Store
More gold coins: https://www.ebay.com/str/tfauctionsintl?_nkw=gold+coin
Disclaimer
The images and any video show the actual item and are part of the official listing description, so please review them closely. Measurements and weights are approximate, and any maker or material we haven't confirmed is described as assumed. Questions? Message us; we answer quickly.
