1839-O Quarter Eagle PCGS XF45 - 1839-O $2.50 PCGS XF45. This eye-appealing 1839-O Quarter Eagle, first-year-of-issue at the New Orleans Mint, has some remaining mint luster within its devices. The coin is original and clean for the grade with no notable abrasion marks or other distractions worthy of individual mention. The coin has an above average strike with strong detail remaining on the centers of the top three stars, Libertys curls, and the reverse dentils and rims. (Note: the smudge marks on Libertys forehead and at Star 4 are on the holder not the coin.)

The Classic Head quarter eagle was minted from 1834 to 1839. Designed by William Kneass, the Classic Head quarter eagle shows a head of Liberty in profile facing left. She wears a LIBERTY inscribed headband that reveals the curly hair on top of her head, which also flows down her neck. She is surrounded by thirteen six-pointed stars, and the date is below. Dentils are around the periphery of the coin. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle with its head facing left. In its talons are olive branch and arrows, symbols of peace and preparedness. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc around the eagle, interrupted by the wing tips. The denomination written as 2 D. is below. The mintmark is on the obverse below the truncation and above the date.

Because the gold coinage in circulation was being melted for its gold content, Mint Director Samuel Moore ordered William Kneass to design quarter and half eagles with lower weight and fineness. He also told Kneass to omit the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM on the new Classic Head quarter eagle and half eagle coins so they would be easily identified as being made with less gold content. This action prevented the older gold coins from being exported, and the public was thus induced to bring them into the Mint for recoinage.

The Classic Head motif chosen by Kneass is a copy of John Reichs Large Cent design of 1808-1814 and the half cents of 1825-1836. The eagle design is also similar to an earlier Reich eagle designed for gold coins.

In its population report, PGCS shows 44 1839-O Quarter Eagles at the XF45 level.