Gold coin collectors around the world know about the rare United States Turban Head Quarter Eagle coin. This gold coin is a $2.50 coin is sometimes called the Capped Head Quarter Eagle due to the design of the turban placed on Lady Liberty’s head.

The History:

The Turban Head Quarter Eagle has a unique history. While congress passed the bill to make gold coins during 1792, the Turban Head Quarter Eagle was not actually struck until 1796. Of the coins struck at the U.S. Mints, only about 20,000 Quarter Eagles with the Turban or Capped Head design were struck between 1796 and 1807.

Part of the reason so few coins were produced was a direct result of the tensions and rise in gold prices in Europe. The Quarter Eagle has a weight of 4.37 grams and of the weight, 91.7 percent was pure gold while only 8.3 percent was other materials. The result was that the U.S. gold coins that were minted were considered undervalued and thus the Quarter Eagles were shipped to Europe to melt down the coin and use the gold.
The result of low production and then the melting of the coin resulted in a very rare coin.

Design:

The design of the Turban Head Quarter Eagle is actually variable depending on the year and the specific coin.

The obverse side displays Lady Liberty looking toward the left side with some of her hair flowing down her neck while the top of her head is hidden with a cap or turban. Above her head, the word “Liberty” is written and below the capped bust is the date the coin was minted. Depending on the year and the coin, some coins will have stars on the observe side of the coin while others will not have the stars. The number of stars will also vary, often ranging between 13 and 14 stars.

The reverse side of the coin shows the head and spread wings of an American bald eagle that has the body hidden behind a shield of the stars and stripes. The bottom of the shield allows the tail feathers and talons of the eagle to show. In the left talon, the eagle clutches olive branches. In the right talon, the eagle holds a bundle of arrows. The term “United States of America” wraps around the outer edge of the coin to surround the eagle. Clouds sit under the words “States of” and between the eagle’s wings. Below the clouds and around the eagle’s head, some versions of the coin have the stars. Other versions do not have the stars on the reverse. The term “E Pluribus Unum” is written in a ribbon through the eagle’s head and wings.

The coin does not have the denomination displayed on the design.

Buying the Coin:

The Turban Head Quarter Eagle is an extremely rare gold coin. Even during the time it was minted, the coin was considered rare due to the low number of coins originally produced. Since many of the coins were also melted down for the value of the gold, very few of these coins are available.

A real Turban Head Quarter Eagle is an expensive purchase and is usually only available to purchase through an auction if one becomes available. The coin is not readily available through most gold coin sources that sell collector coins and is usually difficult to find even during an auction. Since the price is very high based on the extreme rarity of the coin, most gold coin collectors will not have the opportunity or means to purchase this particular U.S. coin.

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