2½ Dollars "Classic Head, No Motto On Reverse - Quarter Eagle" · “Classic Head, No Motto On Reverse - Quarter Eagle”

The Classic Head Quarter Eagle: the gold coin America had to shrink

For decades, America's gold coins were worth more melted than spent, so they vanished into crucibles almost as fast as the Mint could strike them. In 1834 Congress fixed that with a quieter, lighter coin — and built the design out of a borrowed portrait under a deadline.