2½ Dollars "Coronet Head - Quarter Eagle" (1896) — United States

Overview

A Proof strike gold 2½ Dollars coin of the United States, representing the Coronet Head - Quarter Eagle design. The obverse features a coronet head left with the date below and 13 stars around the rim representing the original 13 colonies, while the reverse depicts an eagle with arrows and an olive branch in its talons. Composed of Gold (.900) (.100 copper) with a reeded edge. Minted in 1896 at the United States Mint of Philadelphia with a limited mintage of 132 pieces and exhibiting mirror-like fields characteristic of Proof coinage.

Specifications

Country

United States

Year

1896

Composition

Gold (.900) (.100 copper)

Weight

4.18 g

Diameter

18 mm

Mint

United States Mint of Philadelphia

Shape

Round

Technique

Milled

References

KM# 72, PCGS# 1817, 7717-7732, etc.

Issuer

United States

Design details

Collector insights

• Design heritage: Christian Gobrecht is credited as the designer for the Standard circulation coins series. Designer attribution helps distinguish this issue from later restrikes or unofficial copies that reuse only the motif.
• Struck at: United States Mint of Philadelphia. Confirm the mintmark on your example before comparing prices — same-year issues from different mints often trade at very different levels.
• Low mintage: Only 132 pieces reported. This puts the issue into key-date territory for its series; expect steep grade-based price scaling and a higher counterfeit risk — provenance and third-party grading matter.
• Gold issue: Gold (.900) (.100 copper) — bullion demand competes with numismatic demand. Weight and fineness (not just face value) drive the melt-value floor.
• Catalogue reference: Listed as KM# 72, PCGS# 1817, 7717-7732, etc.. Use this reference code when cross-checking auction archives, dealer inventories, and standard printed catalogues.

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Browse more items in the full catalog or view United States in the country guide.