1892-O Barber Quarter. Type I Reverse. Repunched Mintmark. MS-66 (PCGS). CAC. Proponents of vividly toned silver will certainly appreciate this beautiful first year Barber quarter. The peripheries are ringed in halos of intense cobalt blue and light pink patina that yields to silvery near-brilliance toward the centers. Both the full striking detail and silky smooth surfaces are rare attributes in a New Orleans Mint issue of this design type.<p>The first New Orleans Mint Barber quarter, the 1892-O was saved in significant numbers at the time of delivery and has long been popular for mintmarked type purposes. On the other hand, survivors are far scarcer than those of the 1892, and in the finest Mint State grades the 1892-O is a formidable condition rarity. The present example of the Type I Reverse hub is an example of an unlisted RPM variety, the O mintmark lightly repunched along its right side. Close inspection of the obverse reveals a curious peanut-shaped die chip at the lower corner of the neck, as well as an elongated die chip at the top edge of the cap, just below the letter G in GOD. Interestingly, we are aware of several other high grade 1892-O quarters struck from these dies that have been certified by PCGS, including the Pogue specimen in MS-67, a coin in MS-67+, a second MS-67, and MS-65+. It appears that a mini-hoard from these dies existed at one time, the coins handled with the utmost care by their previous owners. From the Collection of Silas Stanley Roberts, 1888-1966.
