The quarter dollar was redesigned, continuing the efforts first began by President Theodore Roosevelt to return our coinage to objects of artistic beauty. The new series would come to be known as the Standing Liberty Quarters and would begin with an incredibly low mintage first year of issue. Mintage levels were generally higher for the balance of the series. Assembling a complete collection can be a challenge due to the low mintage key date and several other issues which are particularly conditionally challenging in higher grades.
Near the end of the 19th century, a new design was adopted for the three smallest silver denominations. This included the Barber Quarters, which were struck from 1892 to 1916. Mintages across all issues vary, with the series marked by the presence of three significant key dates. For anyone trying to complete a set, these three coins are the most difficult or costly to acquire.
The Capped Bust Quarters series is divided into two different varieties. The first was issued from 1815 to 1828 and featured a design by John Reich with specifications that matched the earlier quarter series. The second was issued from 1831 to 1838 with a design modified by William Kneass and a reduced diameter. In terms of mintages, the first variety has generally lower levels and contains the rarities of the series, while mintage levels for the second half of the series were generally higher.
The State Quarters series began in 1998 following the Washington Quarters series. A uniquely designed quarter was released to honor each of the 50 States in the order that they ratified the Constitution or joined the Union. The obverse design featured a modified version of John Flanagan’s original portrait of George Washington and the reverse design featured the unique design for each state. The State Quarters series has been credited with introducing millions of people to coin collecting and inspiring a generation to take a closer look at their pocket change.
