The Barber Quarter is an interesting coin because it was minted in different locations. What this means is that for the 1894 Barber Quarter there are three different varieties you can get your hands on. The 1894 Barber Quarter (Philadelphia), the 1894-O Barber Quarter (New Orleans) and The 1894-S (San Francisco) Barber Quarter. For collectors, the Barber Quarter is one that is difficult to collect simply because there are so many different types, but not all of them have survived in great condition.
The 1894-S Barber Quarter minted just under 30% of all the Barber Quarters in San Francisco. This makes the 1894-S the rarest of the quarters minted in 1894. The 1894-O minted just over 30% of the Barber Quarter in the New Orleans Mint. When it comes to collectors, it is imperative that the coins are in great condition. Right then and there, however, is quite the challenge as most surviving Barber Quarters quite clearly show their age.
For coins that are as old as the 1894 Barber Quarter, the condition of the coin in question is of the utmost importance to collectors. Even the smallest bit of damage can take away a coin’s appeal, so you will see people closely examining every aspect of the coin looking for imperfections.
Normally, coins like the 1894 Barber Quarter are sent away to a professional company for grading, but we understand that not everyone has the time and money to send a coin away for grading, so we have provided our own basic grading specifications below.
Uncirculated: This is the grade given to those Barber Quarters that are in absolutely top-notch condition. These coins were never circulated and thus never suffered the type of damage and wear that is common on Quarters this old. Every feature and detail will be wholly intact, and that is why people will pay a lot of money for these coins.
Extremely Fine: This grade is given to Barber Quarters that have been only lightly circulated. Having suffered some light damage, the appeal of these coins is slightly diminished, but every little feature that is located in this coin’s design is able to be made out with the naked eye with not much trouble at all.
Fine: A coin that is graded to be Fine is one that saw a good amount of time in circulation and ended up suffering a good bit of damage. The biggest imperfections can be found in the smoothing of the coin’s design, which results in lesser detail of the imagery. This is why these coins are a bit less expensive.
Good: This is the grade given to coins that are in pretty rough shape thanks to their spending years in circulation. These coins will have suffered a good bit of damage during their time in circulation and will have imagery that is quite difficult to make out. This is the type of Barber Quarter you will come across most often.
Giving the 1894 Barber Quarter is as easy as taking both the type and the condition of the coin into consideration. Because there were multiple different types of Barber Quarter minted every year, the exact type and its associated scarcity will first and foremost factor into the price of the coin. Secondly, the condition the coin is in will play into the price you pay. As previously mentioned, collectors are willing to pay top-dollar for those coins that have been well-preserved. Refer to the chart below for a more accurate price determination for the 1894 Barber Quarter, graded.
Barber Quarters
| DATE | GOOD | FINE | EXTREMELY FINE | UNCIRCULATED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 Barber Quarter | $9 | $35 | $95 | $150 |
| 1894 Barber Quarter (O) | $10 | $45 | $130 | $230 |
| 1894 Barber Quarter (S) | $10 | $40 | $120 | $210 |
| Source: Red Book | ||||