1893 Barber Quarter

1893 Barber quarters represent the second year of the series, designed by namesake designer Charles E. Barber. The Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, Barber did not actually name the Barber quarter after himself – the series was originally (and is still officially) called the Liberty Head quarter. But numismatists and the general public soon nicknamed the coins after him, a somewhat common practice for coins of the day (think of the “Morgan” dollar, which refers to the Liberty Head dollar coin designed by George T. Morgan).

Here’s a rundown of mintage figures and values for the 1893 Barber quarter:

• 1893 – 5,444,023; $15

• 1893-O – 3,396,000; $17

• 1893-S – 1,454,535; $28

• 1893 proof – 792; $850

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

The 1893 Barber quarter from Philadelphia was the most common coin that year, with more than 5 million pieces originally minted and a value of around $15 in Good. The 1893-O and 1893-S Barber quarters are scarcer than their Philadelphia counterpart, but are by no means rare or highly valuable in the lower grades, which is welcome news particularly by Barber series coin collectors who are looking to complete a date-and-mintmark set.

The rarest and most valuable 1893 Barber quarter overall is the proof version from that year. However, that piece is not necessary to completing a business-strike collection and is therefore usually avoided by most collectors of Barber quarters.