1915 Barber Quarter Proof
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 450 made
- Mintage
- 450
- 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 a 1915 Barber Quarter Proof worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1915 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 1915 Barber Quarter Proof rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 450 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1915 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 a 1915 Barber Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the eagle's tail. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark.
- How many 1915 Barber Quarter proofs were made?
- 450.
What to check on your 1915
- 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 1915 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 1915
New Orleans closes and the 1913-S (1909 to 1916)
New Orleans struck its last quarters in 1909, a run of 712,000 that is scarce today. Philadelphia mintages then dropped, reaching only 484,000 in 1913. The 1913-S, with just 40,000 struck, is the lowest mintage of the series and a major key. The 1914-S, at 264,000, follows it. Both are frequent targets of added mint marks, so a careful look at the S is worthwhile.
The 1911-D and 1912-S, each under one million, are also hard to find well preserved. Production rose again during World War I. Denver struck 6,540,800 quarters in 1916, the year MacNeil's Standing Liberty design replaced Barber's late in the year, which makes the 1916-D the easiest of the final dates. Late Barber quarters stayed in circulation for decades, so many are worn nearly smooth with only partial rims and dates.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1915
San Francisco hosted the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, for which the Mint struck commemorative coins including $50 gold pieces.
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 | 1915 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 450 |
| 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 1915 Barber Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 Barber Quarter | 3,480,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1915 Barber Quarter Proof | 450 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 1915-D Barber Quarter | 3,694,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1915-S Barber Quarter | 704,000 | 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.