Is the 1898-S Barber quarter SEVERLY undervalued?

oldcameoproofsguy

Earlier, I suggested that the 1909-O could possibly be the toughest gem in the series, but could the 1898-S Barber quarter be the actual key to the series? In The Complete Guide to Barber Quarters, 2nd ed., David Lawrence states that a great deal of the 1898-S, 1899-S and 1900-S coins went to the Philippines, never to return. He also mentions that the coin is 14th in mintage but 1st in certified populations. This holds true still today, the total graded by both the PCGS and the NGC is less than 50 coins in all grades combined. He also says that the coin is tough in any grade and should be snatched up when offered at anything near today's levels.

I think that this is a classic case of rarity being judged by mintage. In this case I feel that mintage has nothing to do with rarity. Compare the prices for this coin in nearly any grade with the 1901-S and this coin is downright cheap. I think that there have been years and years of hype for the wrong coin; the true key, IMO is the 1898-S.

ARCO

I agree. It has a MS certifitied Population right near the 1901-S, yet it sells for a fraction of the price. One of the great Rarities found within the barber series! My favorite MS Quarter

Tyler

cointagious

in a series with so many stoppers, i would suggest that many of the better dates are undervalued but they are undervalued for a reason. i offer that because the date set for barber quarters is so tough the series is undercollected. as d lawrence suggests, there are many sleepers in the series in gem grades.

jcping

Is 98S undervalued? I don't know. If you are asking 97S, .....

Of course. Show me a problem-free 97S AU example and I will pay ask+10%

From time to time, you could find a nice AU 97O. I simply cannot find any nice AU 97S in the last 10 years.

roadrunner

Yes, the pops show the 98-s to be underrated. Many buyers go ga-ga over low mintages which in the 19th century tend to mean little compared to survival rates.

I did studies on Barber coinage in the late 70's and at the time the 99-s came up as the toughest Barber quarter. A tad tougher than the 01-s. Close seconds were 98-0, 00-0, 01-0, 07-D and of course the 96-s, 01-s, 13-s. I noted that the 09-0 showed up twice as often as the 98-0. The 98-s was right on the heels of this group too along with the 07-s. One thing I've learned about studies is that it depends on what era you did it in. Results today ARE different. Using just the pops is not accurate either with many resubmissions.

Another factor is the price of the coin. Expensive keys (like 01-s) show up more often and trade more often. How many dealers are going to go out of their way to list an 07-D if they have one? But they'll list the lower mintage coins like 01-s, 96-s, etc.

The data clearly shows that the 98-s is a tough coin and certainly underrated. With so many underrated dates it's hard for any of them to stand out alone. Mint marked seated quarters (pre-1874) have the same problem as well as the pre-1853 Philly mints.

roadrunner

Dave99B

The 98-S quarter is indeed a MONSTER quarter in mint state. The 99-S isn’t very far behind. Because of their higher mintages, they just weren’t put aside. I’m certain I’ve seen more mint state 01-S quarters floating around. Key to the series? No. A solid value for the dollar, YES!

Also, don’t get caught up too much in population figures. I think the “glamour” S-mint dates (96, 01, 13) get re-submitted several times because of the premium people will pay for 65+ key material. Heck, if you can afford key date MS Barbers, why mess around with MS62/MS63 trash!

Dave

roadrunner

Lest we all get a it too excited about gem Barbers I've heard from realiable sources that roll sets are still out there. I'll take one please

roadrunner