About the Coin

Most coin guides list the 1802 gold quarter eagle as an overdate (1802/1).

But similar to the 1853/2 double eagle, that attribution is not certain. Some believe that the 1, barely visible even with magnification, is not a 1.

But it doesn't really matter since only one obverse die was known to have been used on all 1802 quarter eagles.

Four dies are known to have been used for the reverse. Two of these dies are said to have been used to strike dimes as well.

This example in The Arlington Collection has a nice original two-toned appearance. The obverse shows a little weakness in the center but an otherwise nice strike. The reverse has some mint-made adjustment marks visible in the horizontal lines on the shield. Overall, the coin is close to uncirculated except for some very slight wear on the high points.

Designer: Robert Scot
Weight: 4.37 grams
Diameter: approx. 20mm, reeded edge
Composition: 91.67% gold, 8.33% silver/copper