1848 Quarter Eagle (1848 $2.50) No Cal, NGC AU55. Bright mint luster outlines the devices of this appealing 1848 Quarter Eagle. Some wispy abrasion marks and a light reverse scratch over the eagles head along with a trace of wear on the highest points keep this coin from the uncirculated category. The strike is average with some weakness on Libertys hair and the feathers on the eagles leg.

Designed by Christian Gobrecht, the coronet motif lasted from 1840 to 1907. It shows a profile of Liberty facing left, her hair tied in the back with beads, and two of her curls hang down her neck. She is wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY. The date is below, and thirteen six-pointed stars encircle her. Dentils are at the periphery on both sides of the coin. The reverse shows the heraldic eagle facing left with wings raised. In its talon are the arrows and olive branch, symbols of preparedness and peace. The required inscription, interrupted by the wing tips is above, and the denomination, separated by dots, is below written as 2 D.

Before he became a Mint employee, Gobrecht was an engraver of clockworks in Baltimore. Later, in Philadelphia, he joined a banknote engraving firm. He invented a machine that enabled one to convert a three-dimensional medal into an illustration. He worked for the Mint from 1826 until his death in 1844. Gobrecht was famous for his Liberty Seated dollar obverse design, which was used for all denominations of silver coinage, and for the Liberty Head or coronet motif that was first used on the gold eagle, and then on the half cent, the cent, and the gold quarter and half eagles.

While not the CAL. issue, the 1848 quarter eagle is nonetheless a rare coin in all conditions. Its original mintage was 6,500. In its population report NGC has encapsulated only 59 coins in all grades.