1848 Quarter Eagle - 1848 $2.50 No CAL PCGS AU50 CAC. This lustrous No CAL 1848 Quarter Eagle, which comes in an OGH (old green holder), has bright, light yellow devices over somewhat darker, more subdued fields. While clearly authentic as seen through the colors and luster, the coin has just a touch of even wear on its highest points. The surfaces are clean for the grade with no individual abrasion marks or other distractions worthy of description. The strike is above average for the date. There are full details on the centers of the stars, most of Libertys hair, and the eagles neck. As usual for this date, the eagles right leg is weak. The CAC sticker shows us that this coin is a premium quality piece that fully deserves the grade assigned.

Christian Gobrecht designed the Liberty Head Quarter Eagle. It was minted from 1840 to 1907, the longest span of any coinage series without any major design modification. In that period of time 11,921,171 Liberty Head Quarter Eagles were minted.

Gobrecht used the coronet motif for his Liberty Head Quarter Eagle design. It shows a profile of Liberty facing left. Her hair is tied in the back with beads as two curls flow down her neck. On the coronet the word LIBERTY is inscribed. She is surrounded by thirteen six-pointed stars and the date, which is below the truncation. At the periphery are dentils on both sides of the coin. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle with wings outstretched looking to the left. In its talons it holds the olive branch and arrows, symbols of peace and preparedness. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is in an arc around the eagle, interrupted by the wing tips. The denomination written as 2 D. is below, separated from the inscription by dots. 

In 1859 James Longacre, who was now the Mint Chief Engraver, slightly modified the reverse by making the arrowheads smaller and further apart; however, in San Francisco the old reverse was used until 1867. In 1866 it was mandated that the motto IN GOD WE TRUST be added to all coinage large enough to accommodate it. It was decided that the quarter eagle was too small for this modification.

The 1848 Quarter Eagle is a scarce, low mintage coin. In its population report, PCGS shows 10 certified at the AU50 grade level. At CAC, as of September 2013, there is only 1, the present coin certified in AU50. Only 5% of the certified 1858 quarter eagles have been awarded the CAC sticker.