1901 Barber Quarter

1901 poses something of a challenge for most collectors of Barber quarters – specifically, the 1901-S Barber quarter. 1901-S quarters are rare among business-strike Barber quarters, and their prices are through the numismatic roof, even for a specimen in “Good.”

Take a look at the mintages and values of 1901 Barber quarters below:

• 1901 – 8,892,000; $13

• 1901-O – 1,612,000; $49

• 1901-S – 72,664; $4,950

• 1901 proof – 813; $850

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

Barely more than 72,000 Barber quarters were made in 1901 at the San Francisco mint, and surely much fewer survive today. It’s safe to assume that most of those that do are in the hands of coin collectors, and are highly coveted when they do re-enter the common market.

There are plenty of Barber quarter collectors out there assembling complete collections of the series, and that helps to push up the demand for the 1901-S quarter. What’s more, there are many investors and speculators who love owning rare coins of any type, and they also pursue 1901-S quarters with vigor.

Meanwhile, the 1901-O quarter is a tough date, and the 1901 Philadelphia issue is quite common. The 1901 proof, while quite scarce, is not in as high a demand as its 1901-S counterpart and can be bought for less than $1,000.