The 1914-D Indian Head Quarter Eagle is an issue whose true rarity was not understood until a few years ago. Many casual observers still feel that this is not a rare coin, but it is actually the third rarest Indian Head Quarter Eagle in terms of its overall rarity and one of the true rarities in this series in the higher Uncirculated grades.

The 1914-D is not nearly as well struck as the 1911-D and it may well be the worst struck Indian Head Quarter Eagle. On the obverse, the center is often weak and the border may have a slightly buckled appearance. The reverse is much more weakly struck and most examples show considerable weakness on the eagle’s leg and wing. The breast feathers are often weak as well. The mintmark is usually weak at the top, but sharper at its bottom.

Challenges in Finding High-Grade 1914-D Quarter Eagles

Many 1914-D Quarter Eagles have numerous marks on the surfaces. There are many that also show mint-made spots. It is very hard to locate a piece that has clean surfaces and this is one of the major reasons why the grading services have encapsulated so few coins in the higher Mint State grades.

This issue has much better luster than its similarly dated Philadelphia counterpart. It has a frosty texture with some slight graininess located around the devices. On a number of pieces, the luster has impaired from mishandling or numismatic abuse.