United States: 1925-D gold Indian Head quarter-eagle ($2.50) PCGS MS63. Cert. #40587486. Numista-6158, Krause-Mishler-128. Mintage: 578,000. Ex-Michael Swoveland, dba WNC Coins, LLC, Asheville, NC, 21 February 2022. purchased in the slab. This is a fairy typical midrange Mint State example of the Indian quarter-eagle designed by sculptor Bela Lyon Pratt. Like the $5.00 half-eagles of the same design, this type featured incuse design elements which are sunken into the planchet rather than raised. As it goes with many innovative things, these coins were initially unpopular with some. In addition to criticism of the design, some members of the public were concerned that they would be unsanitary because the sunken design elements would trap dirt and thus spread germs! Eventually, however, Pratt's Indian coins got their due respect, and came to be recognized as part of the Renaissance of American coinage in the early part of the 20th century. They are popular with collectors. They are also popular with counterfeiters, so it is recommended to have them third-party certified. The PCGS TrueView images of this coin were shot after certification, through the plastic of the slab. 060000
I've loved those since I started collecting about 15 years ago and saw them at the local coin shop. They also show recognition of the Native American people. The 1925-D is apparently a common date that is affordable, so I was able to snag an MS-61 recently. I agree that the large numbers of counterfeits, according to experts, justify shelling out some extra money to buy them certified.
This was in December and I picked up the cheapest one at the time (MS and certified), paying a 24 percent premium above the melt value based on my calculations. These have always carried a premium, from what I remember, but are still affordable. You get a somewhat better deal with the Half Eagles, so I also picked up a couple of those, too.