1861 Quarter Eagle (1861 $2.50) PCGS AU58 CAC. Civil War Coin. This 1861 Quarter Eagle from the first year of the Civil War glows with mint luster. Very light abrasion and just a touch of wear at the tip of Liberty’s coronet keep this coin from a mint state grade, which is confirmed by CAC. The strike is strong on both sides with all of the details easily seen.

The coin, designed by Christian Gobrecht, depicts a head of Liberty wearing a LIBERTY inscribed coronet. Her hair is tied in beads with two curls flowing down her neck. She is surrounded by thirteen six-pointed stars. The date is below the truncation. On both sides at the periphery are dentils. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle with wings outstretched looking left. In its talons are an olive branch and arrows, symbols of peace and preparedness. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surround the eagle, except for the wing tips, and the denomination written as 2 ½ D. is below. The legend is separated from the denomination by dots.

The coin is the Type 2 or new reverse that has open talons with small arrowheads that are spaced apart. Much of the bullion for business strikes of this date came from melting Type 1 coins that had been stored. In its population report CAC shows 11 with 28 better.