Heritage’s July 12 to 15 auctions at the Summer Florida United Numismatists convention in Orlando offered plenty of always-popular keys, among them several lightly circulated examples.

Alongside the 1913-S Barber quarter dollar and the 1901-S coin, the 1896-S quarter is one of the three key San Francisco Mint issues in the Barber quarter dollar series. It has a relatively low mintage of 188,039 pieces and most of the estimated 1,500 survivors exist in well-worn grades. Collectors were just starting to collect by Mint marks in the 1890s, and it seems few 1896-S Barber quarter dollars were saved at the time of issue. 

Inside Coin World: Coin Values Spotlight debuts in weekly issues: A new regular column in the weekly editions of Coin World, “Coin Values Spotlight,” makes its debut in the Aug. 13 print issue.

Heritage observed that the nearly Mint State example had “sharp detail and bright, satiny luster in the fields with no mentionable toning,” adding, “A brush of high-point friction and some scattered abrasions determine the grade.” 

It sold for $9,900 and its overall appearance is representative of the PCGS definition for About Uncirculated 58: “Only the slightest friction on the highest points. Virtually full luster.” It is the type of coin sometimes described as “Borderline Uncirculated” or a “Slider.” 

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