Barber Half Dollar

Charles Barber created the standard design used for American coins starting near the close of the 19th century. These designs, sadly, were not popular with either the public of the time or with modern collectors. Barber’s work was considered either too boring or too fussy. Even so, they make an interesting addition to coin collections, especially for the sake of completeness.

1895 Barber Half Dollar

The obverse side of a Barber Half Dollar shows an interestingly androgynous-looking Liberty, her hair covered by a large cap, which is in turn adorned with a wreath. The minting year is just underneath her right-facing profile. This side of the Barber Half Dollar Coin is relatively plain. The reverse side of Barber Half Dollar is where one comes to understand the accusations that Barber’s design was unnecessarily ornate. The reverse side design is centered on an eagle, its wings spread. The eagle bears a shield, carries an olive branch in one claw and arrows in the other, and holds a ribbon with the motto “E Pluribus Unum” in its beak. The eagle seemed to busy, as did the overall design. Like other coins of the time, Barber Half Dollar was made of copper and silver.

1892 Barber Half Dollar

Unlike other coins in American history, the Barber Half Dollar has no variations that may be considered legendary treasures. You will not find any versions of which there is only one known copy worth several hundred thousand dollars. However, a coin collector with a more “average” budget has many options.

Grading Barber Half Dollars

Barber Half Dollar Fair Market Values in U.S. Dollars (1892-1915)

Date/Type	G4	VG8	F12	VF20	XF40	AU50	AU53	AU55	AU58	MS60	PR60 (Proof)
1892	$28	$40	$74	$126	$198	$312	$336	$384	$408	$468	$510
*1892 O	$324	$396	$480	$540	$640	$690	$720	$800	$860	$930	--
*1892 S	$270	$360	$420	$510	$600	$760	$800	$870	$960	$1,110	--
1893	$18	$29	$77	$138	$210	$312	$360	$390	$462	$528	$516
1893 O	$35	$65	$120	$228	$360	$420	$438	$450	$510	$650	--
*1893 S	$150	$222	$300	$430	$510	$610	$660	$780	$1,020	$1,560	--
1894	$29	$52	$107	$180	$282	$360	$390	$450	$480	$540	$510
1894 O	$23	$34	$90	$162	$330	$360	$384	$414	$480	$570	--
1894 S	$19	$29	$78	$132	$252	$348	$384	$420	$480	$540	--
1895	$18	$26	$74	$150	$216	$348	$378	$408	$450	$570	$492
1895 O	$22	$41	$106	$174	$288	$408	$468	$510	$570	$720	--
1895 S	$29	$50	$126	$222	$300	$390	$420	$480	$570	$630	--
1896	$23	$29	$88	$150	$252	$360	$390	$430	$510	$570	$492
1896 O	$42	$60	$180	$330	$570	$770	$930	$1,170	$1,290	$1,710	--
1896 S	$90	$168	$240	$330	$510	$720	$820	$1,230	$1,380	$1,650	--
1897	$13	$17	$49	$96	$192	$336	$372	$420	$480	$540	$492
*1897 O	$156	$240	$528	$780	$1,140	$1,290	$1,470	$1,710	$1,830	$1,980	--
*1897 S	$144	$228	$390	$570	$860	$1,000	$1,120	$1,400	$1,560	$1,800	--
1898	$13	$16	$41	$94	$168	$330	$360	$408	$462	$510	$492
1898 O	$34	$78	$228	$342	$540	$650	$700	$760	$930	$1,230	--
1898 S	$26	$52	$83	$162	$330	$432	$468	$620	$820	$920	--
1899	$13	$14	$37	$101	$180	$312	$342	$378	$438	$480	$492
1899 O	$23	$34	$71	$150	$276	$378	$456	$492	$540	$610	--
1899 S	$22	$31	$68	$125	$222	$330	$360	$390	$580	$660	--
1900	$13	$16	$36	$90	$180	$312	$342	$378	$402	$450	$540
1900 O	$17	$20	$61	$150	$270	$360	$390	$500	$660	$860	--
1900 S	$16	$19	$54	$110	$204	$330	$360	$450	$510	$600	--
1901	$13	$16	$36	$90	$168	$312	$336	$372	$420	$510	$480
1901 O	$19	$31	$74	$192	$336	$528	$700	$870	$1,080	$1,440	--
1901 S	$37	$58	$192	$360	$720	$1,160	$1,350	$1,650	$1,980	$2,340	--
1902	$12	$13	$32	$89	$168	$312	$342	$372	$390	$450	$498
1902 O	$17	$20	$60	$102	$228	$360	$390	$450	$570	$780	--
1902 S	$14	$17	$62	$130	$220	$420	$480	$540	$620	$820	--
1903	$13	$16	$48	$95	$185	$325	$390	$480	$510	$570	$480
1903 O	$12	$16	$56	$114	$200	$348	$384	$480	$630	$720	--
1903 S	$13	$16	$54	$106	$220	$365	$400	$450	$540	$640	--
1904	$12	$13	$35	$92	$174	$312	$336	$372	$396	$500	$485
1904 O	$18	$30	$77	$200	$420	$540	$670	$780	$910	$1,130	--
1904 S	$50	$106	$390	$690	$1,620	$2,340	$3,030	$3,990	$5,580	$8,340	--
1905	$19	$26	$83	$180	$288	$372	$390	$420	$510	$640	$480
1905 O	$24	$42	$113	$215	$330	$445	$470	$600	$640	$750	--
1905 S	$12	$14	$53	$120	$288	$390	$420	$468	$510	$640	--
1906	$12	$13	$32	$86	$168	$312	$336	$372	$390	$450	$480
1906 D	$12	$14	$36	$88	$168	$330	$360	$390	$432	$468	--
1906 O	$12	$14	$49	$96	$180	$330	$402	$432	$490	$570	--
1906 S	$12	$16	$54	$102	$210	$318	$342	$372	$540	$630	--
1907	$12	$13	$34	$86	$174	$312	$336	$372	$390	$450	$490
1907 D	$12	$13	$35	$88	$180	$318	$342	$372	$390	$468	--
1907 O	$12	$16	$37	$90	$192	$330	$348	$372	$420	$510	--
1907 S	$16	$24	$90	$162	$360	$570	$650	$730	$820	$1,020	--
1908	$12	$13	$34	$86	$168	$312	$342	$372	$390	$450	$485
1908 D	$12	$13	$36	$88	$174	$312	$348	$372	$408	$480	--
1908 O	$12	$13	$38	$89	$168	$330	$348	$385	$425	$480	--
1908 S	$19	$29	$70	$150	$270	$408	$540	$720	$810	$900	--
1909	$12	$16	$32	$88	$168	$312	$336	$372	$390	$450	$480
1909 O	$14	$22	$60	$120	$280	$528	$570	$710	$900	$990	--
1909 S	$12	$16	$36	$92	$190	$350	$365	$385	$570	$630	--
1910	$17	$26	$84	$168	$312	$410	$430	$455	$485	$600	$510
1910 S	$13	$18	$42	$98	$198	$360	$408	$510	$600	$720	--
1911	$12	$14	$32	$88	$168	$318	$342	$385	$410	$450	$510
1911 D	$12	$16	$40	$91	$210	$318	$348	$380	$450	$540	--
1911 S	$12	$16	$41	$96	$180	$330	$360	$420	$540	$630	--
1912	$12	$16	$37	$86	$168	$312	$336	$372	$402	$456	$480
1912 D	$12	$18	$38	$88	$168	$312	$348	$390	$420	$456	--
1912 S	$12	$17	$44	$96	$192	$372	$396	$420	$480	$570	--
1913	$68	$83	$210	$360	$490	$770	$810	$890	$1,000	$1,050	$480
1913 D	$12	$14	$43	$98	$190	$312	$336	$384	$414	$540	--
1913 S	$18	$24	$55	$106	$230	$378	$402	$425	$500	$680	--
*1914	$106	$180	$270	$480	$680	$910	$950	$1,000	$1,110	$1,230	$510
1914 S	$17	$24	$49	$108	$210	$348	$390	$468	$528	$660	--
*1915	$120	$168	$282	$390	$570	$770	$820	$880	$990	$1,140	$500
1915 D	$12	$13	$35	$86	$180	$312	$336	$372	$390	$450	--
1915 S	$14	$18	$42	$98	$186	$324	$348	$372	$390	$450	--