1899-S PCGS VF-30 Barber Quarter

OnOne sure fact when studying the Philippine Hoard dates between 1898 and 1900 is that there is a low population for mid-grade 1899-S Barber quarters. Unless there has been extreme hoarding of this date, the 1899-S quarter in non-Details mid-grades should be considered very rare and a hidden gem in the Barber quarter series. The combined PCGS and NGC populations are low for this date in mid-grades: F(7), VF(5), and XF(17). All of the tougher VF graded specimens are in PCGS holders. When examining the Heritage website for previous auction appearances, there are only 6 total with the last one in 2006. In addition, of those appearances only 1 was a non-Details grade. It should be noted from VF-20 to VF-35, the average pricing amount is $119.50 per what is seen at the PCGS website (http://www.pcgs.com/prices/).

The PCGS Population Report July 2003 had this to say about the 1899-S (www.pcgs.com):

"1899-S is turning out to be far scarcer than previously thought. Its ranking has moved up from 9th to 4th and its mint state pop is just 12 more than that of the 1901-S. Not bad for a coin with Gray sheet bids of $875 and $2,800 in MS 63 and 65 [as of 1999]."

NGC Coin Explorer has this to say about the 1899-S quarter (ultimate courtesy extended to Heritage Auctions / www.ha.com):

"The San Francisco Mint continued its erratic quarter production schedule of the late 1890s by producing a mere 708,000 pieces in 1899. The federal government shipped a percentage of this issue's delivery to the Philippine Islands, where most entered the channels of commerce. Most of the survivors are cleaned XF or AU pieces. This date is underrated and underappreciated by many, particularly in the mid-Uncirculated grades."

To learn more about these coins, go to www.barbercoins.org or become a member of BCCS!

The VF-30 coin pictured was discovered in Australia in early 2014 - pretty much near non-existent in the U.S.