The Proof quarter eagle mintage for the year 1890 was a mere 93 pieces, from which John W. Dannreuther (2018) estimates that only 35 to 45 are known today. Gems are the most prized - and also the rarest in terms of quality and eye appeal - and with fewer coins seen as the desired grade ticks up point by point, opportunities to acquire coins finer than PR-65 are few and far between.

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the November 2023 Showcase Auction, where it sold for $37,200.