When the Liberty Quarter Eagle was introduced, there were some slight modifications to the specifications for the denomination. For previous quarter eagles, the composition consisted of a large percentage of gold, alloyed with a small amount of silver and copper. From 1840 onwards, the composition was modified to 90% gold and 10% copper without the silver component. The weight of the coins remained at 4.18 grams, and the diameter was reduced slightly to 18 mm. All coins were struck with a reeded edge.
With the introduction of this type, the mint mark location was moved to the reverse of the coin. The mint mark of “C”, “D”, “O”, or “S” for Charlotte, Dahlonega, New Orleans, or San Francisco is located between the eagle and the denomination. On many of the earlier issues, the mark is connected with the branch and sometimes hard to see. Additionally, on some of the Dahlonega issues the mint mark is very weak. As customary, coins struck at the Philadelphia Mint did not carry a mint mark.
Dates: 1840-1907
Mint Mark: none (Philadelphia), C (Charlotte), D (Dahlonega), O (New Orleans), S (San Francisco)
Composition: 90% gold, 10% copper
Weight: 4.18 grams
Diameter: 18 mm
Edge: Reeded
Designer: Christian Gobrecht
