Collectors Corner^SM: The Collectibles Marketplace

1906-D Barber Quarter. Click image to enlarge.

When the Denver Mint struck its first coins on February 1, 1906, it marked the culmination of decades of planning and anticipation. Before the “D” Mint in Colorado became a reality, there was a private venture known as Clark, Gruber and Company that transformed ore from the Pikes Peak Gold Rush into coins at a Denver facility beginning in 1860.

An Act of Congress in 1862 authorized a United States Assay Office that opened in Denver the following year. It wasn’t until 1897 when construction finally began on the Denver Mint, which began coining operations some nine years after ground was broken. The Mint has since gone on to produce billions upon billions of coins, and among the first were 1906-D Barber Quarters.

The 1906-D Barber Quarter saw a decent output to be sure, with a mintage of 3,280,000 pieces. Despite more than 3 million examples rolling out of the Mile High City, the 1906-D Barber Quarter has become a decidedly tough coin. PCGS estimates only about 8,000 survive, and just 400 are believed to exist in grades of MS60 or higher. Making matters even more challenging for collectors – especially those who want prime examples for a Barber Quarter Registry Set – is that just 70 examples are estimated to exist in grades of MS65 or higher.

Prices reflect the coin’s relatively scarce nature. Prices begin around $30 for an example in G4, while an F12 specimen goes for $50. Specimens can fetch some $115 in XF40, and in MS63 prices climb to $700. Many collectors of Barber Quarters want pieces that grade at least MS65, and those retail for $1,500. The all-time record price for a 1906-D Barber Quarter was hammered in 2000 for an example hailing from the cabinet of the legendary collector Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr., whose MS67 specimen graded by PCGS took home an incredible $9,775.