The 1881 is one of the most coveted dates in the Liberty quarter eagle series. The Philadelphia Mint issued a mere 51 Proofs and 640 circulation strikes, and none were produced by any of the Branch Mints. Survivors of both issues are of the utmost rarity and desirability in today's market. For the Proofs, represented here, survival estimates range from just 20 to 30 pieces. When we further consider that this issue faces heightened pressure from date collectors given the paucity of circulation strikes, the Proof 1881 is particularly rare from a market availability standpoint.

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the August 2019 Rosemont ANA Auction, where it sold for $48,000.