1896 Barber Quarter Proof
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 762 made
- Mintage
- 762
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 6.25 g
- Diameter
- 24.3 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1896 Barber Quarter Proof worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1896 is valuable in any condition, even well worn. That's exactly why fakes and altered coins turn up so often.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1896 Barber Quarter Proof rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 762 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1896 Barber Quarter Proof silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1896 Barber Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the eagle's tail. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark.
- How many 1896 Barber Quarter proofs were made?
- 762.
What to check on your 1896
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Judge the grade under good light. LIBERTY on the headband is the benchmark: a full, sharp LIBERTY is required for Very Fine and above.
Proofs from 1896 were struck one at a time in small numbers and many were later spent or mishandled. Look for hairlines from cleaning, which lower the grade.
The story of the 1896
The San Francisco keys (1896 to 1901)
San Francisco's Barber quarter mintages fell sharply in these years. The 1896-S (188,039) and the 1901-S (72,664) are the two keys of the period. The 1901-S is the rarest regular Barber quarter in any grade. The 1897-S and 1899-S, with 542,229 and 708,000 struck, are also scarce in better condition.
Philadelphia, by contrast, struck between 8 and 12.6 million a year from 1897 to 1901, so Philadelphia quarters of these dates are common. Altered mint marks are a concern for the 1896-S and 1901-S, since an S can be added to a common Philadelphia coin. Check the mint mark under magnification for seams or tool marks. On worn coins the headband goes smooth, so a complete LIBERTY marks a coin of Fine or better.
How to recognize it
Charles Barber's Liberty faces right wearing a cap, a laurel wreath and a headband inscribed LIBERTY, with IN GOD WE TRUST above and 13 stars around. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle holding arrows and an olive branch with a ribbon reading E PLURIBUS UNUM. The mint mark sits below the eagle's tail. On worn coins, the letters of LIBERTY are the first thing to fade.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Barber Quarter (1892–1916) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1896 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 762 |
| Face value | 25¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 6.25 grams |
| Diameter | 24.3 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.1808 troy oz (5.625 g) |
| Designer | Charles E. Barber |
Other 1896 Barber Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 Barber Quarter | 3,874,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1896 Barber Quarter Proof | 762 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 1896-S Barber Quarter | 188,039 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1896-O Barber Quarter | 1,484,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
Mintage: United States quarter mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.