1896 Barber Quarter

1896 Barber quarters are a mixed bag for coin collectors when it comes to the scarceness of the issues from that year. Whether a coin collector seeks a common date (1896 Philadelphia), tough date (1896-O), scarce date (1896-S), or proof, it is sure to be found here. It is the thrill of the chase for many coin collectors that helps to make pieces like the 1896 quarters something of a favorite date for the die-hard Barber quarter aficionados.

Check out the mintages and values below to find out more behind the story:

• 1896 – 3,874,000; $13

• 1896-O – 1,484,000; $49

• 1896-S – 188,039; $850

• 1896 proof – 762; $850

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

Perhaps what sticks out to most coin collectors about the 1896 quarter is the rarity that is the 1896-S. With a mintage of less than 200,000 and a value in the mere grade of Good standing at just shy of $1,000, the 1896-S is the earliest key-date rarity in the Barber quarter series. Designed by U.S. Mint Chief Charles E. Barber and first released in 1892, the Barber quarter series presents a few challenging pieces like the 1896-S, and each is about as difficult as the other to both find and, for some coin collectors, afford.