Barber Quarters

The Barber Quarter was named for its designer Charles E. Barber, the sixth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint. He had created similar designs for the three smallest circulating silver denominations. The quarter dollars were minted from 1892 until 1916.


The obverse design features the head of Liberty facing left. She wears a cap with a headband inscribed "Liberty" with a wreath of laurel leaves tied around. The motto "In God We Trust" appears above, with the date below, and a total of 13 stars arranged to the left and right.

On the reverse of the coin is the image of a heraldic eagle. The eagle has a shield placed at the breast, an olive branch in one talon, and a bundle of arrows in the other. A banner is clasped in its beak which includes the motto "E Pluribus Unum". Further inscriptions include "United States of America" and "Quarter Dollar" with 13 stars incorporated into the image.

The Barber Quarter series is known for a trio of three low mintage issues struck at San Francisco that make the completion of a set a more daunting task. These coins are the 1896-S, 1901-S, and 1913-S with mintages of 188,039, 72,664, and 40,000.

This site provides further information on this fascinating coin series, as well as a selection of coins available for sale.