1897-S Barber Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 542,229 made
- Mintage
- 542,229
- 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 1897-S Barber Quarter worth?
It's scarcer than a typical date, so even circulated examples sell above face and above their metal value. The best uncirculated coins are where the money is.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- 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 1897-S Barber Quarter rare?
- Somewhat. 542,229 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1897-S Barber Quarter silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.1808 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1897 Barber Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the eagle's tail. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1897 are scarcer?
- The 1901-S at 72,664, the 1896-S at 188,039. So the 1897-S is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1897-S Barber Quarter coins were made?
- 542,229.
What to check on your 1897-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1897-O (1.4 million made).
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1897 Barber Quarter Proof (731 made) is the one to compare with.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. LIBERTY on the headband is the benchmark: a full, sharp LIBERTY is required for Very Fine and above.
Never clean it. Collectors pay strong premiums for original surfaces and natural toning on a date like this. A cleaned coin can lose half its value or more.
The story of the 1897-S
San Francisco made 542,229 in 1897, up from 188,039 in 1896. In 1898 the figure was 1 million.
The other mints made far more that year: 1897 alone came to 8.1 million, roughly 15 for every 1897-S. If you're checking a pile of 1897 coins, the S is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1913 (484,000) and the 1915-S (704,000).
Across San Francisco's 21 Barber Quarter issues, the hardest to find is the 1913-S with 40,000 made. The 1897-S is on the scarcer side of the middle. Among the 1890s issues, only the 1896-S had a smaller run.
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 | 1897 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 542,229 |
| 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 1897 Barber Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 Barber Quarter | 8,140,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1897 Barber Quarter Proof | 731 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 1897-S Barber Quarter | 542,229 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1897-O Barber Quarter | 1,414,800 | 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.