Counterfeit Detection: 1898-O Barber Quarter

Key dates for Barber Quarters include a trio of San Francisco issues that had the lowest mintages for the 25-year series. Mint State examples of the 1896-S, 1901-S and 1913-S typically sell for five figures. Collectors who want to assemble a complete set of Barber Quarters are well-advised to check prices for these key dates to make sure their ambitions and budget are properly aligned.

Genuine 1898-O Barber Quarter Click images to enlarge.

A step below these key dates are about a dozen date-and-mintmark combinations where a low Mint State example generally costs $1,000 or more. These are split between coins struck at the San Francisco and New Orleans mints, and they include the 1898-O issue. The New Orleans mint struck only 1,868,000 quarters that year. NGC recently received a purported example of an 1898-O Barber Quarter that had numerous red flags.

Counterfeit 1898-O Barber Quarter Click images to enlarge.

To begin with, the coin’s color and its luster are both much different from what is typically seen on a genuine example. Additionally, the fields are riddled with very heavy striations, and the edges of devices show evidence of being struck by a die that was created by a low-fidelity computer numerical control (CNC) process.

Close-ups of the obverses of the genuine (left) and counterfeit coins Click images to enlarge.

While the coin’s condition appears to be Uncirculated, it is still missing a lot of detail. This is often an indication the coin is a counterfeit that suffered from shortcomings in the dies, the strike or both. The high points in the design on this coin are very flat and the planchet appears rough, both of which indicate the strike was weak. Notice on the obverse the lack of detail in Liberty’s hair and the top of the cap nearby. The ribbon in Liberty’s hair also flattens into the field whereas it is well-defined on the genuine coin.

Close-ups of the reverses of the genuine (left) and counterfeit coins Click images to enlarge.

Meanwhile, on the reverse, the E PLURIBUS UNUM motto fades into the surrounding ribbon and the ‘O’ mintmark near the eagle’s tailfeathers is too small. In addition, some of the arrows in the eagle’s claw appear to melt into each other.

Some collectors may view coin certification as something that is needed only for the greatest rarities, but counterfeiters will target any coin that offers the opportunity for profit. If you want to be sure that your coin is genuine, keep in mind that NGC guarantees its determinations of authenticity and grade.

Did you know? NGC has created a comprehensive Counterfeit Detection resource to help collectors and dealers identify counterfeit and altered coins. Visit NGCcoin.com/counterfeit.