$2.50 Gold Quarter Eagle Melt Value

$2.50 Gold Quarter Eagle, obverse (1925-D) — Shown: 1925-D (Indian Head, 1908–1929)Photo: Wehwalt; edit by Crisco 1492, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (front, back); cropped.

$2.50 Gold Quarter Eagle, reverse (1925-D) — Shown: 1925-D (Indian Head, 1908–1929)Photo: Wehwalt; edit by Crisco 1492, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (front, back); cropped.

A $2.50 Gold Quarter Eagle contains 0.1210 troy oz of pure gold, worth $483.43 at today's spot price.

The quarter eagle was a quarter of the $10 eagle. The Liberty Head design ran from 1840 to 1907, and Bela Lyon Pratt's Indian Head design from 1908 to 1929.

Liberty Head (1840–1907)

$483.43 melt value per coin

0.1210 troy oz gold · 90% gold, 10% copper

Calculate more than one coin →

Indian Head (1908–1929)

$483.43 melt value per coin

0.1210 troy oz gold · 90% gold, 10% copper

Calculate more than one coin →

Melt values use these spot prices (US dollars):

Gold $3,996.90 per troy oz Current quote · Quote time Oct 23, 9:09 PM EDT

Melt value is the metal content at spot price, not a buy or sell price. Collectible coins can be worth much more. For reference only.

Specifications

Specification	Liberty Head (1840–1907)	Indian Head (1908–1929)
Years	1840–1907	1908–1929
Face value	$2.5	$2.5
Composition	90% gold, 10% copper	90% gold, 10% copper
Gross weight	4.18 g	4.18 g
Fineness	.900 (90%)	.900 (90%)
Pure metal	0.1210 troy oz (3.762 g)	0.1210 troy oz (3.762 g)
Diameter	18 mm	18 mm

How the melt value is worked out

Melt value is the pure gold in the coin multiplied by the spot price. We use the coin's standard minted weight; worn coins weigh slightly less.

Liberty Head (1840–1907): 4.18 g × .900 fine ÷ 31.1035 g per troy oz = 0.1210 troy oz
0.1210 troy oz × $3,996.90 spot = $483.43
Indian Head (1908–1929): 4.18 g × .900 fine ÷ 31.1035 g per troy oz = 0.1210 troy oz
0.1210 troy oz × $3,996.90 spot = $483.43

How to identify it

Liberty Head coins show Liberty wearing a coronet; Indian Head coins have the design sunk into the surface rather than raised.

Melt value vs. collector value

Pre-1934 US gold coins almost always sell for more than melt, even in worn condition, and scarce dates can be worth many times their gold. Gold coins are also a common target for counterfeiters, so buy from reputable sources.

Related tools

Sources

US Mint: Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States, 1792–1965 — checked 2026-10-22
Coinage Act of 1873 (17 Stat. 424) — checked 2026-10-22
Act of January 18, 1837 (5 Stat. 136) — checked 2026-10-22

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