1844 Quarter Eagle - 1844 $2.50 NGC AU50. This rare, low mintage 1844 Quarter Eagle has attractive coloring and comes in an older type NGC holder. Aside from a couple of light obverse scratches, the surfaces of this 1844 Quarter Eagle are clean for the grade. They are also original and show traces of subdued mint luster still remaining in protected areas. The obverse strike is above average with full details on the centers of the stars.

Christian Gobrechts quarter eagle was produced without substantial modification from 1840 to 1907, the longest span in any United States coinage series. It uses the Coronet design which shows Liberty in profile facing left, her hair tied tightly in beads, except for two curls one down the back of her neck and the other on the side below her ear, with the word LIBERTY inscribed on the coronet. She is surrounded by thirteen stars, and the date is below the truncation. Dentils are around the periphery of both sides. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle facing left holding arrows and olive branch it its talons. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA arcs around it, interrupted by the wing tips, and the denomination 2 D. is below. The denomination is separated from the legend with dots.

In 1826 Gobrecht did his first work for the Mint as an assistant to Kneass. After Kneass suffered a debilitating stroke, Gobrecht did all the die and pattern work for the Mint. He became Chief Engraver in 1840 and served until his death in 1844. He was famous for his Liberty Seated motif which was used for all denominations of silver coinage including the half-dime, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar and silver dollar. He also designed the Liberty Head gold eagle, a motif that was also used on the half-cent, the cent, the gold quarter eagle, and the gold half eagle.

Because of its low mintage the 1844 Quarter Eagle is considered rare in any grade. In its population report, NGC shows 8 1844 Quarter Eagles in AU50 condition with 31 better.