1889 Quarter Eagle - 1889 Proof Quarter Eagle - 1889 $2.50 NGC PF64+ CAC. This rare 1889 Proof Quarter Eagle comes with the provenance of the famous Byron Reed Collection. This 1889 Proof Quarter Eagle coin has an almost cameo appearance because of its frosty devices set against darker fields. Because of this contrast and the full strike, which is expected for a proof coin, the motifs really pop, especially so on the obverse. The surfaces of this 1889 Proof Quarter Eagle have minimal hairlines, most of which require magnification to be seen. The grade of PF64+ has been assigned by NGC. The "plus" designation means that the coin is at the top of the grade range. The CAC confirmation indicates that the coin is of premium quality and fully merits the grade assigned.

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.

Beginning in 1859 a modified reverse design was used on business strike and proof Philadelphia coins. It had smaller letters and arrowheads. Some pieces in 1859, 60, and 61 were struck with the old design after the change was made.

As an anti-counterfeiting device, these coins were completely hubbed except for the date and mint mark. The dates were entered by hand. In 1873 a new 3 was used because the old one was the closed 3 and was easily mistaken for an 8.

Christian 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.

This was an excellent job and Gobrecht was understandably reluctant to work for the Mint for less money than he was making at the engraving firm. In order to persuade him to leave, Mint Director Robert Patterson prevailed upon Chief Engraver William Kneass, who had had a stroke, to take less in salary so more money would be available to hire Gobrecht on a permanent basis. In 1826 Gobrecht did his first work for the Mint as an assistant to Kneass. After Kneass 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 sliver coinage including the half-dime, dime, quarter dollar, half dollar and sliver 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.

The 1889 Proof Quarter Eagle had an original mintage of only 48 coins in total making it rare in all grades. It is not known why the mintage was so low for this year, but production resumed to normal levels for the next year. Most proofs of this denomination and date sold in recent years have come from famous collections as has the present coin. In its population report, NGC shows only this 1889 Proof Quarter Eagle in PF64 condition with none better. At CAC, as of May 2012, there is only this coin confirmed at PF64.

There are also 3 PRCAs and 1 PRDC confirmed at higher grades. This is obviously the only specimen of this date with the Byron Reed pedigree.