Particular coins being offered for sale may not have been included within particular indexes, and if included, may not have experienced the same market movements as the index as a whole. West, Doug. . Is the 1898 Barber dime still in circulation? Although Woolley had hoped that each artist would produce one design, different concepts by Weinman were accepted for the dime and half dollar, and one by MacNeil for the quarter. https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/339 A few grains of wheat are visible towards the top of the wreath, but the corn next to "E" of DIME is worn and often missing any kernel details. The reason is that these ten-cent coins are 110 years old. Although Barber had warned the director that reputable artists would likely not enter a contest in which only the winner received compensation, Leech offered a $500 prize to the winner, and no payments to anyone else. These dimes can be valued at $4.63 if in good condition while one in extremely fine condition may fetch $135. Barber Dimes minted 1892 to 1916 are an interesting series to collectors. President George Washington appointed the renowned scientist David Rittenhouse as the first director of the mint. The early years of 1894 and 1895 are premium coins in all grades due to low mintages. The first dime produced in a U.S. Mint building was struck in 1796. So, Where is the Mint Mark on Mercury Dimes? The Barber vs Mercury Dime Debate. The plumpish, matronly gravitas of Liberty had come to America seven years earlier in the person of Frdric Bartholdi's giant statue [the Statue of Liberty] "[40] He suggested that the features of Daniel Chester French's huge statue Republic, created for the World Columbian Exposition, "were absolutely in harmony with what Charles Barber had created for the coinage in the year of the Fair's opening". "[41], George Heath, editor of The Numismatist, discussed the new pieces: "the mechanical work is all that could be desired, and it is probable that owing to the conventional rut in which our mint authorities seem obliged to keep, this is the best that could be done". Of course, you will want to compare all other details on the coin as well such as the date, mint mark and other imagery. The 1894 S silver Barber Dime is one of the rarest and most valuable US coins ever made. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. silver The Mint issued Barber dimes and quarters in 1916 to meet commercial demand, but before the end of the year, the Mercury dime, Standing Liberty quarter, and Walking Liberty half dollar had begun production. The same year that the Barber dime series was introduced, 1892, the quarter and half dollar coins were also redesigned using the same obverse design as the dime. Various stories attend the question of how so few came to be coined. The placement of the mintmark on Barber quarters is a topic of interest. He also gave three to his young daughter Hallie, telling her to retain them until she was as old as he was, and she would be able to sell them for a good price. Obverse: Charles Barber's depiction of Liberty is portrayed facing right with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the periphery and the date centered at the bottom. Composition 0.900 silver and 0.100 copper by weight. The coins mint mark can be found on the reverse under the wreath. In very fine condition the value is around $150 and in extremely fine condition the value is around $200. Whitman Publishing, 2013. They also insisted that the same artist create both sides of a given coin, and that more time be given to allow the development of designs. Leech got feedback from friends and from Secretary Foster; on September 28, he wrote Barber that Liberty's lips were "rather voluptuous" and directed him to prepare a reverse without the wreath. These coins may be valued from $1.96 to $21. The 1894-S rarely appears for sale on the market, and when one does, it sells for well over one million dollars. And on those three Barber silver coins, the titular artists name is symbolized in the form of a single B found on the truncation of Miss Libertys neck on the obverse of those coins. [61], For additional detail on the 1916 subsidiary silver coin redesign, see, Barber later reused the design, in combination with a reverse by Morgan, in a proposed double eagle; instead. 1898 Barber Dime The composition of these coins is 90% silver and 10% copper. S mint mark - Barber dimes with the S mint mark were minted in San Francisco. Copyright 2023 JM Bullion. Barber was a coin designer who served as the sixth engraver of the United States Mint from 1879 until his passing at the age of 76 in 1917. Because of advanced age, all in the series are worth a slight premium to underlining silver value. Morrill was a supporter of coin redesign and had in the past introduced bills to accomplish this; he felt, however, that this could not be done without an act of Congress. Minted at the Philadelphia, Denver, New Orleans, and San Francisco mints. This melt value is calculated from the current silver spot price of $24.94 per ounce. It does not store any personal data. [10], In 1885, Burchard was succeeded as Mint director by James Kimball. Barber complained, in a letter on October 2 to Superintendent Bosbyshell, but intended for Leech, that the constant demands for changes were wasting his time. [21] He assured Gilder that the designs which Barber had already prepared had met with the approval of Mitchell, though Leech himself had some improvements to suggest to the chief engraver. [54], In 1915, a new Mint director, Robert W. Woolley, took office. The US minted the 1899 dime with no mint mark and also the 1899 O dime and 1899 S dime. As the price of silver rose over the decades, the mint was forced to shrink the size of the dimes from a diameter of 19 mm to their current size of 17.9 mm. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Look closely to confirm no smoothing of edges to the leaves is present. Viewing all edges of leaves show just slight wear confined to edges only with no signs of flatness to the broader areas of leaves. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Type I quarters are rarer for each mint. When Edward O. Leech became director of the U.S. Mint, he called the contest too wretched a failure ever to be tried again. It is your opinion, dealers and collectors have their own opinions and they can all differ slightly. While prices can and do fluctuate, these silver coins may see increasing price appreciation in the coming years as the coins age. Many of your old US silver coin values are tied closely to the price of silver. Kimball submitted the issue to government lawyers; they indicated that the Mint lacked the claimed authority. By creating an account, you are agreeing to the Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy. As illustrated in the picture below, Barber positioned the mint mark on the reverse of the coin, near the bottom just below the bow in the wreath. Dimes were minted here is all years other than 1894. As the 1916 date approached when the Barber coins could be changed without an act of Congress, calls for a new design increased. Rim is well raised from the field in most areas. Although wear is smoothing many fine lines, each leaf is separate and defined. Those that spent decades in circulation with visible signs of wear typically cost $4 to $100, depending . On the Barber Dime, the mint mark can be seen on the bottom center of the reverse just below the bow at the base of the wreath encircling the inscription ONE DIME. On the Barber Quarter and Barber Half Dollar, mint marks are located just below the heraldic eagles tailfeathers and immediately above the central letters of the denomination QUARTER DOLLAR or HALF DOLLAR., Coin Collecting: Basics San Francisco mint struck Barber dimes for circulation for all years except 1894. Some letters are faint. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Subscribe to the JM Bullion newsletter to receive timely market updates and information on product sales and giveaways. Three mints produced this silver coin, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver. Leech had previously suggested to Barber that he engage outside help if the work was to be done at the Mint; the chief engraver replied that he was aware of no one who could be of help in the preparation of new designs. Though there were over 300 submissions to the committee in charge of selection, only two were even awarded an honorable mention. Computed from dealer's price lists with various mark-up factors figured in. [48], Except for the 1894-S dime, there are no great rarities in the Barber series, as mintages were generally adequate to high. Current Silver Bullion Value: $1.83. On the Barber Quarter and Barber Half Dollar, mint marks are located just below the heraldic eagle's tailfeathers and immediately above the central letters of the denomination "QUARTER DOLLAR" or "HALF DOLLAR." Sources Breen, Walter. Wear is visible on the bow. Silver Weight: .07234 oz. This melt value is calculated from the current silver spot price of $25.05 per ounce. The reverse utilized the heraldic eagle from the Great Seal of the United States, enclosed inside a thick oak wreath, with the required legends surrounding the rim. They brought along classic Greek and Roman coins in an attempt to persuade Burchard that the coinage could easily be made more beautiful. New York: Doubleday, 1988. Excellent writeup and fantastic images, Sunnywood. [53], According to Burdette, "agitation to replace Barber's banal 1892 Liberty head began almost before the first coins were cold from the press. Liberty's cheek is an open area, any wear to the surface is noticed as a smoothing of the metal along with a dulling of its shine. He consulted with the Commission of Fine Arts, asking them to examine the designs produced by the Mint's engravers and, if they felt they were not suitable, to recommend artists to design the new coins. In a letter printed in the New York Tribune, Gilder expressed disappointment that the Mint was planning to generate the new designs in-house, feeling that the Mint, essentially a factory for coins, was ill-equipped to generate artistic coin designs. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. between the words QUARTER and DOLLAR). 1902 Barber Dimes Early Silver Dimes Mintage: 21,380,777 Minted at: Philadelphia (No Mint Mark) Designer - Engraver: Charles E Barber Metal Composition: 90% Silver - 10% Copper Diameter: 17.9 mm Mass / Weight: 2.5 grams What This Coin Looks Like (Obverse, Reverse, Mint Mark Location, Special Features, etc. "[42], Other reactions were unfavorable. These can be picked up for around $50 each in Good condition. In spite of Snowden's desires, the only design modified was that of the five-cent coin, or nickel; Barber's design, known as the Liberty Head nickel, entered production in 1883. Reverse: Features Identifying the Good Grade: Wreath is heavily worn and many leaves are flat and connected without defined edges. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Headband with lettering is missing. Coinage of the United States: A Short History. CU | The obverse (front) of the Barber dime features the image of Lady Liberty with a Phrygian cap, a laurel wreath, and the word "LIBERTY" inscribed on her headband. Walter Breens Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins. This change resulted in quarters that were thinner, so that 21 of the new coins would stack in the space occupied by 20 of the old. It is best to have high value dimes professionally graded by one of the services: PCGS, NGC, ANACS, or ICG.