Columbian Exposition quarter dollar

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Columbian Exposition Quarter Commemorative (United States)
Value:	.25 U.S. dollars
Mass:	6.25 g
Diameter:	24.3 mm
Thickness:	? mm
Edge:	Reeded
Composition:	90.0% Ag 10.0% Cu
Years of minting:	1893
Catalog number:	-
Obverse

Design:	Queen Isabella of Spain
Designer:	Charles E. Barber
Design date:	1893
Reverse

Design:	Kneeling female with symbols of women’s industry.
Designer:	Charles E. Barber
Design date:	1893

The Columbian Exposition quarter commemorative coin, commonly referred to as the Isabella quarter, was minted as a result of a petition made by Board of Lady Managers of the Columbian Exposition for a souvenir quarter. It honors Queen Isabella of Spain who sponsored Columbus' travels that ended in the colonization of America. The Board of Lady Managers was formed at the urging of Susan B. Anthony to coordinate and oversee the women's activities and exhibits at Chicago's 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.

The coin was designed by Charles E. Barber. The obverse depicts the crowned bust of Isabella of Spain. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is lettered around the perimeter with the 1893 date to the right of the portrait and conforming to the curve of AMERICA. Symbolizing women's industry, the reverse shows a kneeling woman with a distaff in her left hand and a spindle in her right hand. BOARD OF LADY MANAGERS is lettered around the upper perimeter with COLUMBIAN QUARTER DOL. around the lower perimeter. Only a small quantity of these coins were sold at the Exposition at $1 per coin. This was the first commemorative quarter issued by the United States and is the only coin to depict a woman on both sides.

[edit] Mints

The Isabella quarter was minted exclusively at the Philadelphia Mint.

Minting started on June 13, 1893, six weeks after the opening of the Exposition. There were 40,000 quarters minted but they did not sell well at the Exposition. Ultimately the unsold quarters were returned to the Mint for melting, leaving 24,191 coins.

There is disagreement among experts on the amount of proof strikes. Estimates range from 40 to 100. The 400th, 1,492nd and 1,892nd coins were double struck proofs documented by the Mint which were presented to the Board of Lady Managers. These were in recognition of the 400th anniversary of the discovering of America, the year America was discovered, and the year of the anniversary. Some early business strikes exhibit prooflike qualities, however there must be evidence of multiple strikes to be authenticated as a legitimate proof strike.