1891

The 1891 quarter records a Philadelphia delivery of 3,920,600 pieces, the largest mintage of the Seated Liberty Quarter design's final decade and a striking reversal from the token five-figure outputs that had defined the parent mint between 1879 and 1889. The volume reflects deliberate reserve-building ahead of the design transition: Charles Barber's Liberty Head Quarter was set to begin production in 1892, and the Mint built up stocks of the outgoing design to maintain commercial supply during the changeover. The 1891 also closes the 54-year arc of Christian Gobrecht's seated figure on the denomination, a design that had carried the quarter through eight chronological subtypes from the original 1838 No Drapery type to this final With Motto, No Arrows form. Struck on the 6.25 gram weight standard set by the Coinage Act of February 12, 1873.

Strike quality on the 1891 is generally good across the run, with the Philadelphia dies producing full feather detail on the eagle and clean banner lettering for the IN GOD WE TRUST motto. Some examples show modest softness on the head of Liberty and the upper shield lines from later die states, but the issue is not noted for systemic strike problems. Survivors today are abundant across the grading curve thanks to the heavy mintage, with circulated examples readily available in Very Fine through About Uncirculated and Mint State coins reasonably plentiful through MS63. Choice and gem grades are still meaningfully scarcer than the 3.9 million figure might imply, since the 1891 was a working business issue that saw real circulation rather than the collector-and-bullion stockpiling that protected the late-1880s Philadelphia issues. Authentication is routine, with PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, or NGC certification standard for any premium grade.

The 1891 is the natural type-coin choice for collectors who want a single Seated Liberty Quarter representing the final With Motto, No Arrows subtype and the close of the series. Prices in About Uncirculated and lower Mint State have held steady over the past decade, while MS65 and finer pieces have appreciated as type-set demand has tightened the supply of choice and gem coins. The issue is recommended raw only at well-circulated grades; anything above Extremely Fine is worth buying certified, both for accurate grade attribution and to clear the routine authentication concerns. For the broader story of Gobrecht's design, the 1892 Barber Quarter transition, and the series' production arc, see the Seated Liberty Quarter series history.