1909-O Barber Quarter
Circulation strike struck at the New Orleans Mint · 712,000 made
- Mintage
- 712,000
- 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 1909-O 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 1909-O Barber Quarter rare?
- Somewhat. 712,000 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1909-O 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 a 1909 Barber Quarter?
- On the reverse, below the eagle's tail. Philadelphia quarters have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is O, for New Orleans.
- Which New Orleans dates near 1909 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no New Orleans issue had a smaller mintage than the 1909-O.
- How many 1909-O Barber Quarter coins were made?
- 712,000.
What to check on your 1909-O
- Make sure the mint mark really is a O. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1909-S (1.3 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 1909 Barber Quarter Proof (650 made) is the one to compare with.
- 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 1909-O
Production at New Orleans fell off a cliff in 1909. Only 712,000 were made, against 6.2 million the year before. That drop is why the 1909-O is the one people look for. It turned out to be New Orleans's last Barber Quarter for circulation.
The other mints made far more that year: 1909 alone came to 9.3 million, roughly 13 for every 1909-O. If you're checking a pile of 1909 coins, the O is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1899-S (708,000) and the 1912-S (708,000).
Of the 18 Barber Quarters New Orleans struck between 1892 and 1909, this is the scarcest. Among the 1900s issues, only the 1901-S had a smaller run.
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 1909
The Lincoln cent replaced the Indian Head cent to mark the centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth. Designer Victor David Brenner's initials V.D.B. on the reverse were removed within days after complaints. The New Orleans Mint struck its last coins that year.
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 | 1909 |
| Mint | New Orleans Mint |
| Mint mark | "O" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 712,000 |
| 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 1909 Barber Quarter issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1909 Barber Quarter | 9,268,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1909 Barber Quarter Proof | 650 | Proof | 0.1808 oz |
| 1909-D Barber Quarter | 5,114,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1909-S Barber Quarter | 1,348,000 | Circulation strike | 0.1808 oz |
| 1909-O Barber Quarter | 712,000 | 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.