Barber Quarter
In 1887 Mint director James P. Kimball felt that the coinage for United States was out dated and got a bill introduced that would allow for new coin designs to be completed if the coins in circulation at the time was at least 25 years old. The bill past in September 1890 and the Treasury Department 
set about looking for a suitable design for the upcoming new coinage. Against the wishes of then chief engraver Charles Barber the Treasury department decided to hold a contest to find the new design for the coinage. Barber, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and engraver Henry Mitchell were selected as judges for the competition.
The competition was a failure when no designs were found to be suitable for the new coins. This failure was mainly due to the fact that each of the three judges felt that they could a better job of designing the coins than any of the designs that had been submitted.
So with the support of Mint Director Edward A. Leech Charles Barber got his way and was chosen to design the new coinage and the Barber Quarter was born.
Barber Quarter Front
The front of the Barber Quarter is a rather simple design. It depicts a bust of Liberty facing right and wearing a liberty cap with a laurel wreath and a ribbon tied at the back of her neck. IN GOD WE TRUST is written above her head and the date appears below the bust. There are 6 stars on the left and 7 stars on the right depicting the 13 original colonies. Barber’s Initial (B) appears at the base of Liberty’s neck.
Reverse Of the Barber Quarter
The reverse side of the Barber Quarter has an eagle with out stretched wings and a shield across his chest. He clutches an Olive branch with 13 leaves on in his right talon and a bundle of 13 arrows in his left talon. A ribbon with E PLURIBUS UNUM is written on a ribbon in the eagle’s beak. There are 13 stars above the Eagle’s head and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is written in an arch at the top of the coin and ONE QUARTER is written an arch below the eagle.
When these quarters were first struck they failed to stack properly, but the problem was quickly solved by alternating the design and relief elements.
2 Types of 1892 Quarters
There are two types of the 1892 quarters with the difference in the two types being on the reverse side of the coin.
- Type I- In the type 1 1892 quarters the Eagle’s left wing crosses the letter E in UNITED below the middle Serif and leaves most of the letters exposed.
- Type II- In the Type II version of the quarter the eagle’s wing covers most of the letter E and the middle serif is hidden.
In 1900 there was third type of the coin produced with the eagle’s wing extending beyond the top of the E.
These quarters were minted in Philadelphia (No mint mark), San Francisco (S), and New Orleans (O) the mint mark appears below the eagles tail.
There are no major rarities for this quarter.