Indian Head Half Eagle

One of my all time favorite coin designs is the Indian Head Quarter and Half Eagle designs. I think it is a really interesting design due to the incused design. I also feel the design just has a special beauty too.

I'd like to look into picking one up in the not to distant future. I'd prefer a half eagle, but may settle for a quarter eagle if finances become an issue. Trouble is, outside of liking the design I know very little about the coin. Because the design is somewhat "backwards" I know they can be quite difficult to grade. I'd love to learn about the coin prior to looking for one. Can someone give me some insight in the fine touches of grading these coins...such as where to look for light signs of wear? I assume that strike quality wasn't an issue because the gold is soft...but with in the unique incuse design, perhaps it posed some challenges. Do these coins have strike concern? For me, one of the critical things I look for is strike quality with my coins.

Ultimately, I will probably look to buy a PCGS or NGC graded example. I prefer my "nicer" coins graded. Just a personal preference. That said, I still want to properly educate myself on this coin before buying one.

 

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It's basically like any coin with high parts and protected parts . Also there's a ton of fakes out there . Buy from a well known dealer or slabbed . Do you have a grading book .

 

Not the best , but it's all I could find on short notice .
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Grading-Gold-Indian-Quarter-Eagles-/10000000004543433/g.html

 

I have the ANA grading book and I read through it...it seems fairly straight forward, the high points are just a little backwards. I was hoping to get some additional advice from people who have handled them.

 

There is a nice little book by Mike Fuljenez; "The collector's guide to Indian head quarter eagles". He takes it year by year giving the characteristics of each year.
Especially interesting is his opinion on color, some years are lighter or darker in the gold color. He talks about greenish hues in the natural gold color for some years.
When I was collecting them I made sure to get a 1914 P which has the second lowest mintage.

 

I'm kind of a weenie when it comes to expensive raw coins so I always opt for slabbed. I just picked up a $2.5 Indian from my dealer that had it sent off to get slabbed. I paid under $300 for an AU58. I know the grade now and know it's legit. Not that $300 is expensive but it's also not chump change.

With the questions you have I'd go slabbed and learn from it and study it before going raw.

 

I agree. Like I said in my first post...I'm only interesting in buying a slabbed piece. However, I prefer to learn about the coin...know it inside and out before I buy one. I like buying slabbed because there is a degree of insurance there, but I always grade the coin myself first.

 

Your avatar threw me , if I knew it was you I'd of answered differently .

 

Sorry...it's the logo for my new dental office. I thought I should use it. lol

 

It's cool , but should I call you Doctor now . I thought you were some newbie .

 

I'm not that big on titles...you can call me whatever you like.

I have been in practice for a year and a half now...but a few months ago I ventured out on my own.

 

Doc , has a nice ring to it , and you are a Doctor . Congrats on your own practice .

 

Thanks.

 

Is there a LCS near where you live? If so, and he has a good selection of raw and graded gold coins look at coins of the same grade raw and slabbed side by side for comparison until you get an idea of what the various grades look like. If there isn't any, then attend any coin shows near enough to you and do that there. Books and online pictures just can't beat studying coins in hand while trying to learn their idiosyncrasies. Plus the book or computer can't any questions you have while looking at the coin.

 

BTW, the coin is not incused, it's a sunken relief. I just bought 3 quarter eagles and love them.

 

These coins don't have a rim, so the fields are quick to pick up hairlines, contact marks and rub. In MS grades, the first priority in grading will be luster in the fields - as luster is easily lost (again because there is no rim). Some of the branch mint coins are poorly struck, lacking detail on the "popcorn" headband and the shoulder of the eagle. I would avoid pieces with a flattened cheek, even though they are often in mint state holders. I have never owned a $5 Indian, as a nice (truly unc, with good luster) can cost quite a bit in say a MS 63. Au58 can be a nice quality/cost compromise with these. Counterfeits abound.

 

Should be a picture of you extracting the silver from old fillings out of people's mouths. Don't think I don't know what you are up to....

 

How about showing the roots of the tree and a bottle of nitrous oxide?

 

I like the Indian Head Quarter Eagle and here's my ring with a 1925 coin

 

I have a friend that had a gold filling put in on D Day +3 he was telling me that they used a hand cranked drill. The filling was replace in 2008 and the dentist gave him the gold.