1899 Barber Quarter

1899 Barber quarters are highly common pieces that can be found in many types of coin collections and, of course, in date-and-mintmark sets of Barber quarters. 1899 offers affordable opportunities for coin collectors who want high-grade examples, and there are plenty to be found, thanks to a high original mintage and the fact that plenty were saved by coin collectors over the decades.

Here’s a breakdown of mintage figures and values for the 1899 Barber quarter:

• 1899 – 12,624,000; $13

• 1899-O – 2,644,000; $19

• 1899-S – 708,900; $23

• 1899 proof – 846; $850

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

The quarter from Philadelphia is clearly the most common of the 1899 quarters, with a mintage of more than 12 million. The 1899-O is a tough date, and the 1899-S is decidedly scarce, though by no means rare. Meanwhile, the proof Barber quarter from 1899 maintains an approximate value of around $850, which is roughly the same as virtually all other proof Barber quarters throughout the rest of the series of a similar state of preservation.

The Barber quarter was designed by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber and was first released in 1892. It replaced the Seated Liberty quarter, which has been in production since 1838.