Presented in the Rarities Night session of our Spring 2025 Showcase Auction is a Gem example of the undisputed key to the Indian quarter eagle series. This piece features handsome golden-orange color that enhances the lovely mint luster on both sides. The strike is razor sharp, including a crisp, fully defined D mintmark.
For many collectors, the Indian quarter eagle series is a straightforward challenge with only 15 issues to obtain, and most can be acquired with only a fair amount of effort depending on the desired grade level. There is one notable exception, the 1911-D. Most mintage figures for the series range between a quarter million to three-quarters of a million pieces. However, at the Denver Mint in 1911, only 55,680 coins were produced. Most were very well struck, though on many the mintmark is weakly defined; these are not nearly as desirable as those with a strong D mintmark, as here. Few 1911-D quarter eagles were saved at the time of issue and the coins disappeared into commerce.
While the issue’s low mintage has always been an indicator of its scarcity, the advent of the certification services and their population figures has allowed a clearer picture of survival rates and overall rarity. The 1911-D’s position as by far the rarest of the series has withstood the test of time. Fortunately, a significant number of survivors are in and around Mint State, mostly between AU-55 and MS-63. While near-Gems are important condition rarities, they appear on the market with some regularity. Full Gems, as here, are quite a bit rarer and significantly more difficult to obtain. Clearly this is a bidding opportunity that deserves the utmost in attention and a coin that belongs in a highly advanced U.S gold cabinet.
For more information about the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Spring 2025 Showcase Auction visit StacksBowers.com. To consign your coins or paper money to a future sale call 800-458-4646 or email [email protected].
