1883 Quarter Eagle - 1883 $2.50 PCGS PF58. According to Garrett and Guth in their Encyclopedia of Gold Coins, about 30 to 40 proof 1883 pieces remain from the original mintage of only 82. In its population report, PCGS shows the present piece to be the only circulated proof example of this scarce issue.

Occasionally a proof coin gets into circulation and winds up with characteristics of both proof and circulated coinage. Such is the case with this near-Uncirculated 1883 proof quarter eagle. Although the coin exhibits some hairlines, contact marks, and abrasions, none is so serious as to require individual description. The white spots on the reverse are on the holder not the coin. Of course, the strike is outstanding with full details on the centers of the stars, Libertys hair, the eagles neck, and the area to the lower left of the shield. The light and dark yellow-gold colors on both sides of the piece affirm its originality. Original mint luster remains in protected areas and within the devices.

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 motif, which shows 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. 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.

Gobrecht became the third Chief Engraver at the United States Mint. He was born in Hanover, Pennsylvania in 1785. His father was a German immigrant, and his mother traced her ancestry to the early settlers of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Gobrecht married Mary Hewes in 1818. One of his early positions was as an engraver of clocks in Baltimore. Later he went to Philadelphia where he became a banknote engraver. He invented a machine that allowed one to convert a three-dimensional medal into an illustration. In 1826 Gobrecht did his first work for the Mint as an assistant to William Kneass. After Kneass suffered a debilitating stroke, Gobrecht did all the die and pattern work for the Mint. He became Chief Engraver in 1840 and served until his death in 1844. He was famous for his Liberty Seated motif, which was used for all denominations of silver coinage including the half-dime, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar and silver dollar. He also designed the Liberty Head gold eagle, a motif that was also used on the half-cent, the cent, the gold quarter eagle, and the gold half eagle.