United States: 1926 gold Sesquicentennial commemorative quarter eagle ($2.50)

United States: 1926 gold Sesquicentennial commemorative quarter eagle ($2.50)

PCGS MS64. Cert. #32869546.

Numista-37693, Krause-Mishler-161.

Mintage: 200,226 (net 46,019 survivors after 154,207 were later melted).

Ex-Jeremy Maurer (aka "lermish"), on the Buy/Sell/Trade forum, Collectors Universe, 22 November 2022. Purchased in the slab.

This commemorative was struck for the Sesquicentennial of American independence in 1926. Isn't "sesquicentennial" a fun word? It means the 150th anniversary of something. As of this typing (February 2026), we are in the semiquincentennial year - the 250th anniversary - of American independence. Another fun word. (Autocorrect did not recognize the word "semiquincentennial" and fought me when I typed it.)

The Sesquicentennial gold quarter-eagle was designed by the Mint's Chief Engraver, John R. Sinnock, who later designed the Roosevelt dime. The obverse design portrays an Art Deco-styled Lady Liberty. She is standing atop the globe, holding a scroll (the Declaration of Independence) in one hand, and a lit torch in the other. The reverse features Independence Hall in Philadelphia, which would also be featured on the reverse of the Bicentennial half dollar 50 years later.

For some reason, the PCGS photographer swapped the position of the obverse and reverse pictures in the TrueView image used on the cert page.







072500

 

Dunno. It’s hard for me to judge what’s soft strike and what’s just low relief. I suspect a lot of the latter. Perhaps coincidentally or not, the Sesqui half dollars also had a really low relief.