1879 $2.50 (1879 Quarter Eagle) NGC PF67 CAMEO. This superb, rare proof cameo 1879 Quarter Eagle is everything one would expect from a superior coin made in the nineteenth century. As one might anticipate, this piece shows extreme contrast between the devices and the fields throughout both sides. There are no distractions of any kind on this coin. It has an orange-peel texture in the fields on both sides as well. The strike is, of course, full and sharp. Two aspects of this coin set it apart. One is the Superb Gem proof grade designation. The PF67 grade makes this piece one of two in this grade with none better, and the Cameo designation also indicates that this piece is tied for the finest certified at NGC.

The 1878 Proof quarter eagle was designed by Christian Gobrecht. The quarter eagle was produced without substantial modification from 1840 to 1907, the longest span in any United States coinage series. It uses the Coronet motif which shows a profile of Liberty 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 LIBERTY inscribed on the coronet. She is surrounded by thirteen stars, and the date is below the truncation. Dentils are at the periphery of both sides of the coin. The reverse shows the 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 weight remained the same, but the diameter was reduced from the previous issue to 18 millimeters.

The coinage act of 1865 specified that motto IN GOD WE TRUST should be added to all coins large enough to accommodate it. The Mint interpreted this law to mean that the motto had to be added to silver coins larger than the dime and gold half eagles, eagles and double eagles. Because of its size, the quarter eagle was exempt.

As an anti-counterfeiting device, these coins were completely hubbed except for the date and mint mark. The dates were entered by hand.

Christian Gobrecht was the third Chief Engraver at Mint in Philadelphia. He was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania in 1785. His father, a German immigrant, was a reverend. His mother, Elizabeth Sands, was a descendent of the early settlers of Plymouth Colony. In 1818 Gobrecht married Mary Hewes. After an apprenticeship, he became 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. His first work for the United States Mint was in 1826 when he made dies as an assistant to William Kneass. When Kneass was unable to continue working because of a stroke, Gobrecht did all the die and pattern work. He was Chief Engraver from 1840 until his death in 1844. Famous for his Liberty Seated dollar obverse, which was used for all denomination of silver coinage, he was responsible for also designing the Liberty Head motif that was first used on the gold eagle, and then on the half cent, the cent, and the gold quarter and half eagles.

All proof quarter eagle gold is rare and eagerly sought after by collectors and specialists. Mintages for the series range from a low of 20, the present coin, to a high of 223. In its population report NGC shows 2 in PF67 Cameo with none better.