1850-D Quarter Eagle - 1850-D $2.50 NGC AU58. This scarce, near-Mint State, Southern branch mint 1850-D Quarter Eagle has significant mint luster remaining in protected areas. The coins surfaces are a mixture of yellow and greenish gold, typical for a Southern branch mint with its higher percentage of silver in the ore. The strike is somewhat mushy in the centers, which is also typical for a Southern branch mint, but some of the centers of the stars have detail as does the eagles neck. Just a hint of wear on the highest points and a couple of reverse small marks above and below the eagles left wing probably keep this coin from an Uncirculated grade. The surfaces are otherwise clean and original, as seen by the presence of the colors and luster.

The discovery of gold in the early 1800s led to the establishment of two of the Southern branch mints, Charlotte North Carolina and Dahlonega Georgia. In 1835 an act of Congress mandated that these two branch mints would coin only gold. The New Orleans Mint also opened to handle gold from Mexico. In 1838 the first Dahlonega gold coins were made, and they were the Classic Head half eagle type. Because of the local alloys high silver content, Dahlonega gold coins often have a green-gold cast. They are also often weakly struck on irregular planchets. Dahlonega gold coins are eagerly sought by collectors and investors because of their low mintages and rarity. Modern D mint coins should not be confused with Dahlonega coins. Today a coin bearing the D mintmark was minted in Denver, which began production in 1906.

A large group of miners came to the frontier town of Auraria, which is now Lumpkin County, Georgia. Its name derives from aurum, the Latin word for gold. Soon Dahlonega, which meant yellow money in Cherokee, would become the county seat. The miners need to convert oar and dust into bullion led to the establishment of private coiners, including the Bechtlers and Templeton Reid; however, because of a lack of standardization, there was pressure for a federal coinage to be created. The federal branch mint at Dahlonega was established to meet this need.
A building was erected in the town of Dahlonega. Power for its coining equipment came from steam produced in a boiler in the basement. Two small steam driven presses were on the first floor just above the boiler room. They could produce one coin per second. Because of the small size of the presses, the largest coins produced were half eagles.

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. The mintmark is above the denomination almost touching olive branch stem.

The 1850-D quarter eagle is scarce. In Mint State it is quite rare. Most survivors are found in XF to low AU condition. In its population report, NGC shows only 12 have been graded in Uncirculated condition.