Folder creation with the same name as an existing folder in the document library using REST API v1

Hello,
I've been attempting to create a folder in SharePoint with the same name using REST API v1 as outlined in the documentation. I'm using Postman for the REST calls. The problem is that SharePoint doesn't generate an error when attempting to create a folder with an existing name.
With a separate REST call, I have to first check the existence of the folder and then proceed with the folder creation.
Is there a more efficient way to do this?