1851 Liberty Head Quarter Eagle
Base
About This Coin
The 1851 Liberty Head Quarter Eagle is a United States Gold Quarter Eagle from the Liberty Head Quarter Eagles 1840-1907 series — an early issue, 12th of 68 years in the series. In 1851, coins were struck at the Charlotte, Dahlonega, New Orleans, and Philadelphia Mints with a combined mintage of 1.5 million. This represents the second-highest annual mintage in the series, above the series median of 36,397. The obverse features Liberty facing left wearing a coronet inscribed LIBERTY and the reverse displays a heraldic eagle with shield on breast, olive branch and arrows in talons, with a banner reading E PLURIBUS UNUM. High production at Philadelphia and New Orleans driven by Gold Rush bullion supplies. Struck in 90% gold, 10% copper, weighing 4.18 grams, 18 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Collectors have identified one known die variety for this date (pre-cud). Across its variants, estimated values range from $948 to $47K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $63K in MS65 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by Christian Gobrecht.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
