1837 $2.50 (1837 Quarter Eagle) NGC MS61. Classic Quarter Eagle. This mint state, Classic Head 1837 Quarter Eagle has a full obverse peripheral strike and a full reverse. The centers of the stars show full details as do the reverse rims and dentils. For the grade, the surfaces are clean, original, and free of distractions. Original mint luster is seen in protected areas on both sides of the coin.

William Kneass designed the Classic Head quarter eagle. It shows Liberty facing left wearing a LIBERTY inscribed head band with curls flowing down her neck. She is surrounded by thirteen six-pointed stars, with the date below the truncation. The reverse, which has the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM omitted, shows a heraldic eagle with wings upraised. It looks to the left and holds arrows in its left talon and an olive branch in the right. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds the eagle, interrupted by the wing tips, with the denomination, 2 D. below.

William Kneass was known as a popular and useful Engraver, who worked well and quickly to furnish all the dies that were needed for coinage during his time of office. He was remembered as, a warm gentleman of the old-school, who had the rare quality of engaging and winning the esteem and affection of children and youth. Kneass suffered a stroke in August, 1835. From then until his death, Assistant Engraver Christian Gobrecht did the pattern and die work at the Mint. He was succeeded by Gobrecht as Chief Engraver on December 21, 1840.

In 1837, the mintage of the quarter eagle dropped to less than ten percent of the previous years output. While there are some uncirculated examples, such as the present piece, most are in the AU53 to AU58 range. In its population report, NGC shows 15 in MS61 with 23 better.