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Ever wonder why coins minted at the Philadelphia Mint don't contain a mint-mark? Or why almost every US coin features a portrait of Lady Liberty? The answers to both of those questions date back to 1792, when the first US mint was established. The Philadelphia Mint is the main branch of the US Mint and is the oldest mint in the US. After the ratification of the Constitution, the Founding Fathers needed to establish a national identity and a means of commerce. At the time, Philadelphia was the capital of the US so it only made sense for the first mint to be built there. The Mint Act was also passed, during this time, to assign coins denominations based on their legal tender or metal fineness. This act also constituted that any coin in the US should feature "an impression emblematic of liberty." The Philadelphia Mint has participated in every coin series since it was established, leaving no mint-mark as their mark.
The 1898 Barber Quarter was minted at the very first mint in the US and is considered to be in fine condition. Collectors expect fine condition to contain a worn surface on the entire coin, with specific details in the main images missing. After a failed attempt to offer a friendly competition among local artists, Leech resorted to Chief Engraver, William Barber, to come up with the design. Barber's design extended to the dime, quarter, and half dollar; being one of the only coin designs to serve on all currency. Liberty is wearing a Grecian leaf cap, on the obverse, as the reverse features the nation's seal. The Barber Dime is the only Barber coin to not showcase the heraldic eagle, holding the shield, on its reverse. The dime and quarter feature just the coin's monetary denomination.