1851/1851-O Quarter Eagle - 1851/1851-O VP-001 $2.50 NGC AU55 CAC. This Choice AU double date, Southern branch mint 1851/1851-O Quarter Eagle has an above average strike with full details in the centers of the stars and the hair above Libertys ear. Bits of original mint luster remain within the devices on surfaces that are clean for the grade. The greenish gold color, typical of the Southern mints, attests to the coins originality. The doubling of the date is strongest and most obvious at the bottom of the second 1. The CAC sticker affirms that the coin is a premium quality piece that fully merits the assigned grade.

The New Orleans Mint was authorized in 1835 by President Andrew Jackson, hero of the battle of New Orleans. The bill that Jackson signed also authorized the mints at Charlotte and Dahlonega. William Strickland, a Philadelphia architect designed all three branch mint buildings. The New Orleans Mint building was made in the solid, bulky Greek Revival style of architecture. It was the largest of the three branch mints and located at major port of entry. Unfortunately Strickland did not account for the soft ground around the site. Because of it, the building had to undergo numerous repairs throughout its history.

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 below the eagle and above the fraction of the denomination.

In its population report, NGC shows 13 1851-O VP-001 quarter eagles certified at the AU55 grade level. CAC does not list this date by die varieties; however, as of October 2013, they have confirmed 6 1851-O quarter eagles in AU55 condition. Less than 5% of all 1851-O quarter eagles certified by NGC and PCGS coins have been given CAC stickers.