The dates to check first
These are the lowest-mintage Barber quarters struck for circulation. If you're sorting a jar or an inherited collection, pull these dates out before anything else and check the mint mark carefully.
- 1913-S Barber Quarter: 40,000 made.
- 1901-S Barber Quarter: 72,664 made.
- 1896-S Barber Quarter: 188,039 made.
- 1914-S Barber Quarter: 264,000 made.
- 1913 Barber Quarter: 484,000 made.
- 1897-S Barber Quarter: 542,229 made.
Every barber quarter by date and mint
Click any date for its full page: how many were made, the mint mark location, varieties and what to check. Mint marks matter: the same year can be common from one mint and scarce from another.
| Date and mint | Mintage | Value band | Also look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1892-O | 2,640,000 | Metal value | |
| 1892 | 8,236,000 | Metal value | |
| 1892-S | 964,079 | Collector premium | |
| 1893-O | 3,396,000 | Metal value | |
| 1893 | 5,444,023 | Metal value | |
| 1893-S | 1,454,535 | Collector premium | |
| 1894-O | 2,852,000 | Metal value | |
| 1894 | 3,432,000 | Metal value | |
| 1894-S | 2,648,821 | Metal value | |
| 1895-O | 2,816,000 | Metal value | |
| 1895 | 4,440,000 | Metal value | |
| 1895-S | 1,764,681 | Collector premium | |
| 1896-O | 1,484,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1896 | 3,874,000 | Metal value | |
| 1896-S | 188,039 | Significant rarity | |
| 1897-O | 1,414,800 | Collector premium | |
| 1897 | 8,140,000 | Metal value | |
| 1897-S | 542,229 | Collector premium | |
| 1898-O | 1,868,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1898 | 11,100,000 | Metal value | |
| 1898-S | 1,020,592 | Collector premium | |
| 1899-O | 2,644,000 | Metal value | |
| 1899 | 12,624,000 | Metal value | |
| 1899-S | 708,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1900-O | 3,416,000 | Metal value | |
| 1900 | 10,016,000 | Metal value | |
| 1900-S | 1,858,585 | Collector premium | |
| 1901-O | 1,612,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1901 | 8,892,000 | Metal value | |
| 1901-S | 72,664 | Significant rarity | |
| 1902-O | 4,748,000 | Metal value | |
| 1902 | 12,196,967 | Metal value | |
| 1902-S | 1,524,612 | Collector premium | |
| 1903-O | 3,500,000 | Metal value | |
| 1903 | 9,669,309 | Metal value | |
| 1903-S | 1,036,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1904-O | 2,456,000 | Metal value | |
| 1904 | 9,588,143 | Metal value | |
| 1905-O | 1,230,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1905 | 4,967,523 | Metal value | |
| 1905-S | 1,884,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1906-D | 3,280,000 | Metal value | |
| 1906-O | 2,056,000 | Metal value | |
| 1906 | 3,655,760 | Metal value | |
| 1907-D | 2,484,000 | Metal value | |
| 1907-O | 4,560,000 | Metal value | |
| 1907 | 7,192,000 | Metal value | |
| 1907-S | 1,360,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1908-D | 5,788,000 | Metal value | |
| 1908-O | 6,244,000 | Metal value | |
| 1908 | 4,232,000 | Metal value | |
| 1908-S | 784,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1909-D | 5,114,000 | Metal value | |
| 1909-O | 712,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1909 | 9,268,000 | Metal value | |
| 1909-S | 1,348,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1910-D | 1,500,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1910 | 2,244,000 | Metal value | |
| 1911-D | 933,600 | Collector premium | |
| 1911 | 3,720,000 | Metal value | |
| 1911-S | 988,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1912 | 4,400,000 | Metal value | |
| 1912-S | 708,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1913-D | 1,450,800 | Collector premium | |
| 1913 | 484,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1913-S | 40,000 | Significant rarity | |
| 1914-D | 3,046,000 | Metal value | |
| 1914 | 6,244,230 | Metal value | |
| 1914-S | 264,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1915-D | 3,694,000 | Metal value | |
| 1915 | 3,480,000 | Metal value | |
| 1915-S | 704,000 | Collector premium | |
| 1916-D | 6,540,800 | Metal value | |
| 1916 | 1,788,000 | Collector premium |
The series in 4 stages
Charles Barber's debut and two reverse types (1892 to 1895)
Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber's design replaced the Seated Liberty quarter in 1892. Liberty wears a cap, a laurel wreath and a headband inscribed LIBERTY. The reverse uses a heraldic eagle adapted from the Great Seal. Philadelphia, New Orleans and San Francisco all struck quarters from the start, with the mint mark below the eagle.
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.
Denver joins in 1906 (1902 to 1908)
Steady demand kept Philadelphia mintages between about 9.6 and 12.2 million from 1902 to 1904, while New Orleans and San Francisco struck from about 1 to 4.7 million each. San Francisco made no quarters in 1904 or 1906. The 1905-O (1,230,000) and the 1908-S (784,000) are the scarcer coins of the period.
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.
Decade by decade
Where to find the mint mark
- 1892 to 1916: On the reverse, below the eagle's tail. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark.
Identifying and grading Barber quarters
LIBERTY on the headband is the benchmark: a full, sharp LIBERTY is required for Very Fine and above.
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.
What the value bands mean
- Face value: worth its face in worn condition; only uncirculated coins and varieties carry a premium.
- Metal value: worth its silver content in worn condition.
- Small premium: sells for a little over face or metal value even when worn.
- Collector premium: scarcer than usual, so worn coins sell well above face or metal value.
- Significant rarity: a key date, valuable in any condition and often faked.
Bands describe a coin in ordinary circulated condition. An uncirculated coin with full original luster sits a band or more higher. Recognized varieties can be worth far more than the date itself.
Frequently asked questions
Which Barber quarters are worth the most?
By mintage, the scarcest circulation issues are the 1913-S Barber Quarter (40,000), 1901-S Barber Quarter (72,664), 1896-S Barber Quarter (188,039). Varieties and top-grade coins of common dates can also be valuable.
Are Barber quarters silver?
Yes. Every barber quarter in this chart is 90% silver, 10% copper.
Why does this chart show bands instead of prices?
Prices change with the market and with each coin's grade, so any printed price goes out of date. A value band tells you which coins are worth a closer look; for a current price, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Mintages: United States quarter mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records.