Barber Quarters

The Barber Quarter was introduced in 1892, along with the similarly named and designed quarter and half dollar. These coins were all designed by Charles E. Barber. Similar to the other Barber coin series, these quarters have often been overshadowed by the more popular designs which would replace them. However, in recent years Barber Quarters have become more appreciated as a challenging series to collect.

The obverse of each coin features a bust of Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap. The word "Liberty" appears on the hair band, which now serves as an indication of grading for circulated coins. The motto "In God We Trust" appears above and the date below, with thireen stars surrounding. The reverse of the coin features an eagle with wings outstretched with a shield, an olive branch, and a bundle of arrows. The inscriptions "United States of America" and "Quarter Dollar" surround with "E Pluribus Unum" on a ribbon held in the eagle's beak. Thireen stars appear above the eagle.

The Barber Quarter series is well known for the trio of key date coins produced at the San Francisco Mint. These three low mintage coins are the most challenging aspect of assembling a complete collection. The three coins are the 1896-S, 1901-S, and 1913-S. The 1896-S had a mintage of 188,039, while not as low as the other dates, few were saved. The 1901-S Barber Quarter is the rarest of the three with a mintage of 72,664, but with many examples lost to circulation. The 1913-S had the lowest mintage of 40,000 coins, but due to hoarding remains relatively available.

Coin Specifications

Dates: 1892-1916
Mint: Philadelphia, , Denver, New Orleans, San Francisco
Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper
Diameter: 24.3 mm
Weight: 6.25 grams

More Information: Barber Quarter Mintage