What a $2.50 Quarter Eagle (Indian Head & Liberty) is worth in gold at today's spot price, how much gold it contains, and the official specs behind the number.
Melt value now
$505 per coin
Gold spot $4,178.60/troy oz as of Oct 19, 2026, 1:06 AM PT × 0.1209 troy oz of fine gold. Spot fetched when this page was built.
| Quantity | Fine gold | Melt |
|---|---|---|
| 1 coin | 0.1209 oz | $505 |
| 10 coins | 1.2094 oz | $5,053 |
| 20 coins | 2.4187 oz | $10,107 |
Melt is the metal only. It ignores collector (numismatic) value, which can be far higher for scarce dates, high grades or certified coins. It's also not what you'll be paid: dealers usually buy below melt to cover refining and their margin, and sell above it. Use melt as a floor-of-metal reference, not a price.
Different weight or a partial lot? Use the melt calculator.
Specs
| Years | Liberty 1840–1907 · Indian Head 1908–1929 |
|---|---|
| Face value | $2.50 |
| Composition | 90% gold, 10% copper |
| Fineness | .900 |
| Gross weight | 4.179 g (0.1344 troy oz) |
| Fine gold content | 0.1209 troy oz (3.762 g) |
Both $2.50 types carry the same gold. The Liberty design ran 67 years without a change; Pratt's incuse Indian Head followed in 1908.
Sources:
In a sale now
From our Pennsylvania Treasury sale picks (Pook & Pook, Wed Oct 28). Pick melt figures use the spot time shown on that table; the figure above uses current spot.
FAQ
0.1209 troy ounces of pure gold (3.762 g), in a coin that weighs 4.179 g in total. That figure comes from the official specification cited on this page, not from weighing a coin.
Multiply its fine gold content (0.1209 troy oz) by the gold spot price per troy ounce. At $4,179/oz that comes to $505 per coin. For several coins, multiply by the count.
Usually not quite. Dealers typically pay somewhat below melt for common bullion and junk silver to cover refining, shipping and their margin. Coins with collector value can sell well above melt, so check a coin's date, mint mark and condition before selling it as metal.
Keep reading
Saint-Gaudens $20 Double Eagle · Liberty Head $20 Double Eagle · Indian Head $10 Eagle · Liberty Head $10 Eagle · Indian Head $5 Half Eagle · Liberty Head $5 Half Eagle · $1 Gold Dollar
All coin melt values and the calculator · How we estimate melt
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