Barber Half Dollars (1892-1915)

The Barber Half Dollar (1892-1915) has no coins $1000+, but has some couple of more expensive ones in the series. Some are 1892-O, 1892-S, 1897-O, 1897-S, and 1914. They made about 136 Million over the 24 year span.

Designer: Charles E. Barber

Composition: .900 Silver, .100 Copper

History


In 1887, James Kimball, the Mint Director, thought they needed new coinage. The previous coinage, the Liberty Seated series hadn't had any major renovations to the design since 1837. A bill was approved on September 26, 1890. There was a contest for the best design. Charles Barber, Augustus Saint Gaudens, and Henry Mitchell were the judges. The contest did not fare well, ending up in a disaster. Charles Barber got what he wanted all along. He was chosen to create the new coinage. The Barber Half Dollar, as adopted in 1892, shows a  bust of Liberty similar in style to the Morgan Dollar but facing right. She is wearing a Liberty cap with a laurel wreath, and a ribbon ties her hair in the back of her neck. IN GOD WE TRUST appears above her head, and the date appears below. Six stars on the left and seven stars on the right represent the original thirteen colonies. The reverse imitates the Great Seal of the United States and depicts an eagle with outstretched wings, holding an olive branch with thirteen leaves in its right claw and a sheaf of 13 arrows in its left. There is a ribbon with the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM being held in the eagle's beak and thirteen stars are in the field. The designers initial (B) is at the base of Liberty's neck. The first Barber Half Dollar were minted in January 1892. The Mint Mark can be found under the eagle on the Reverse. They were minted in Philadelphia (1892-1915), San Fransico (1892-1915), New Orleans (1892-1909), and Denver (1906-1915). The Barber Half Dollars circulated into the 1950's.

Year-By-Year Guide
1892-934,000

1892-O-390,000

1892-S-1,029,028

1893-1,826,000

1893-O-1,389,000

1893-S-740,000

1894-1,148,000

1894-O-2,138,000

1894-S-4,048,690

1895-1,834,338

1895-O-1,766,000

1895-S-1,108,086

1896-950,000

1896-O-924,000

1896-S-1,140,948

1897-2,480,000

1897-O-632,000

1897-S-933,900

1898-2,956,000

1898-O-874,000

1898-S-2,358,550

1899-5,538,000

1899-O-1,724,000

1899-S-1,686,411

1900-4,762,000

1900-O-2,744,000

1900-S-2,560,322

1901-4,268,000

1901-O-1,124,000

1901-S-847,044

1902-4,922,000

1902-O-2,526,000

1902-S-1,460,670

1903-2,278,000

1903-O-2,100,000

1903-S-1,920,772

1904-2,992,000

1904-O-1,117,600

1904-S-553,038

1905-662,000

1905-O-505,000

1905-S-2,494,000

1906-2,638,000

1906-D-4,028,000

1906-O-2,446,000

1906-S-1,740,154

1907-2,598,000

1907-D-3,856,000

1907-O-3,946,600

1907-S-1,250,000

1908-1,354,000

1908-D-3,280,000

1908-O-5,360,000

1908-S-1,644,828

1909-2,638,000

1909-O-925,400

1909-S-1,764,000

1910-418,000

1910-S-1,948,000

1911-1,406,000

1911-D-695,080

1911-S-1,272,000

1912-1,550,000

1912-D-2,300,800

1912-S-1,370,000

1913-188,000

1913-D-534,000

1913-S-604,000

1914-124,230

1914-S-992,000

1915-138,000

1915-D-1,170,400

1915-S-1,604,000

Resources
Coin Community Family (Information)

PCGS Photograde (Images)