1880 Liberty Seated Quarter. MS-66 (PCGS). Here is a frosty to semi-prooflike beauty with intense silver white brilliance on both sides. The Mint struck just 13,600 circulation strike quarters in 1880, a paltry total that reflects limited need for new examples of this denomination in commercial channels. Indeed, when silver and paper currency achieved parity on April 20, 1876, a glut of silver coins that had been hoarded during the Civil War and early Reconstruction eras flooded the market. Yearly mintages of circulation strike quarters (and also half dollars) would remain small until the introduction of the Barber design type in 1892. High grade Mint State survivors such as this are always in demand among both advanced type collectors and Liberty Seated enthusiasts. From the Francesca Collection.
