United States ¼ Dollar Isabella Quarter 1893 Columbian Exposition Commemorative
KM# 115; N# 6695; Silver; AUNC; The 1893 Isabella Quarter holds an important place among early commemorative coins of the United States. It represents the first legal tender U.S. coin to depict an actual woman, as opposed to the allegorical Liberty. Additionally, it was the first to depict a foreign monarch and the first and only commemorative quarter dollar.The coins were created at the suggestion of the Board of Lady Managers for the World’s Columbian Exposition. At the time, the Columbian Half Dollar had already been authorized, produced, and was still being sold to the public as a souvenir coin for the exposition. The authorized production for the quarters was a relatively low 40,000 pieces with identical specifications to circulating quarters.The 1893 Isabella Quarters were sold for $1 each in the Women’s Building. Compared to the Columbian Half Dollars, which were also sold for $1, the quarter dollars presented a worse value. Correspondingly, sales were much lower with a portion of the mintage returned to the Mint for melting. The final mintage for the coins after subtracting those melted was a low 24,214.