1892 Barber Quarter

In 1891, Chief Engraver of the United States Mint Charles E. Barber was tasked by the U.S. government to create a new design to replace the Seated Liberty quarter, which had been in circulation since 1838. Barber soon designed the Liberty Head quarter, which shared an obverse design with the dime and half dollar. The new Liberty Head quarter, eventually be nicknamed the “Barber” quarter after its designer, was first struck and entered circulation in 1892. Though numismatists were lukewarm to the design at first, it quickly caught on with the public.

The first year of the Barber quarter saw the following mintages:

• 1892 – 8,236,000; $14

• 1892-O – 2,460,000; $22

• 1892-S – 964,079; $45

• 1892 Proof – 1,245; $850

*Values are for coins in a grade of Good-4, unless otherwise noted.

As with all first-year type coins, the 1892 Barber quarter is popular among many types of coin collectors. For those who endeavor to set out on collecting an entire date-and-mintmark run of Barber quarters, 1892 presents relatively few challenges, with the exception of the scarce and valuable proof quarter.

The 1892-S is the scarcest of the business-strike issues, but at less than $50 in a grade of Good is not cost prohibitive for most coin collectors. The 1892-O Barber quarter is pricier than its Philadelphia sibling, but for a 19th-century branch issue is neither very scarce nor costly in the lower circulated grades.