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In just the short ten years as Chief Engraver, Barber was responsible for a history-breaking coin design. Becoming a familiar name to coin collectors, William Barber served as the Chief Engraver, to the US Mint, from 1869-1879. Being one of the only designs to grace all current denominations, the Barber design was inspired by the Grecian goddess, Liberty, who has been admired and loved by warriors since the beginning of time. Liberty wears an Acanthus leaf cap as a crown, which was very common in ancient Greece, and the "United States of America," and the coin's mint date are also simply stamped on the obverse. The reverse contains the nation's official seal, which is of a heraldic eagle holding a shield. Each of the eagle's talons are grasping a symbolic gesture: olive branches and arrows. This seal is seen on more current coinage, such as the American Silver Eagle.
Considered to have a low mintage of just 2.6 million, the 1899-O Barber Quarter was minted by the New Orleans Mint and is in very good condition. Very good condition exhibits strong abrasions on both sides of the coin and is lacking in intricate detail, such as Liberty's headpiece or the eagle's feathers. The Old Mint mainly depended on the success of the Morgan's production so much that when the Morgan's production stopped, the Old Mint was decommissioned shortly after. But the Old Mint participated in other coin collections, such as the Barber series, that is sometimes forgotten in the coin industry. The New Orleans Mint's building as been used as a fallout shelter, an assay office, and a storage facility for the US Coast Guard. It is now considered a national landmark, representing the history of coins. The Old Mint marked all of its coins with an "O" mint-mark and was considered a coin leader in its hay day.