Barber Half Dollar Values

How Much Barber Half Dollars are Worth: Barber Half Dollar Values & Coin Price Chart

Year
Mint
Variety
Designation
VG-8
F-12
VF-20
EF-40
AU-50
U-60
MS-63
MS-64
MS-65
MS-66
MS-67
1800
P
Plain 4- Stemless Wreath
Red-brown
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
1200
1100
YearMintVarietyDesignationVG-8F-12VF-20EF-40AU-50MS-60MS-63MS-64MS-65MS-66
1892(None) Phil----$55$91$169$256$340$637$1,034$1,245$1,895$3,280
1892S----$372$468$650$779$940$1,385$2,275$3,195$6,515$7,550
1892OMicro O--$6,940$10,340$12,550$15,925$17,750$31,650$42,300$61,400$83,000$99,600
1892O----$531$589$680$785$914$1,274$1,880$2,320$3,790$9,745
1893(None) Phil----$50$93$177$289$429$727$1,067$1,378$2,115$3,555
1893O----$94$164$248$403$495$795$1,183$1,508$8,670$10,900
1893S----$340$615$863$1,373$1,728$2,679$4,410$4,920$15,995$30,900
1894(None) Phil----$55$125$208$287$391$752$1,138$1,480$1,972$4,355
1894O----$52$104$189$312$441$789$1,248$1,510$5,545$11,200
1894S----$49$104$177$415$391$757$1,500$2,275$6,275$9,150
1895S----$103$197$282$476$608$1,200$2,020$2,730$4,135$12,725
1895O----$85$160$208$321$479$908$1,590$2,850$6,388$16,995
1895(None) Phil----$48$88$177$286$378$664$1,083$1,314$2,785$4,600
1896(None) Phil----$59$114$202$294$441$730$1,100$1,725$2,585$9,975
1896O----$112$230$459$2,283$3,350$9,325$14,600$20,050$28,625$39,700
1896S----$177$343$652$1,303$1,593$2,655$3,230$3,449$6,015$14,250
1897(None) Phil----$48$85$168$256$345$664$1,163$1,412$2,905$6,138
1897O----$252$418$810$1,325$1,688$3,065$4,620$6,015$8,875$13,800
1897S----$270$342$579$1,255$1,850$2,945$3,388$4,300$6,763$10,925
1898S----$65$101$177$403$564$1,618$2,283$2,815$5,588$12,495
1898O----$95$274$508$753$922$1,668$2,839$2,875$6,320$10,300
1898(None) Phil----$45$85$161$245$329$637$1,045$1,328$2,253$5,213
1899(None) Phil----$30$70$161$250$329$637$1,034$1,245$2,366$5,750
1899O----$58$139$202$307$404$1,158$1,928$3,525$10,995$25,995
1899S----$56$114$177$304$418$1,090$2,345$3,970$4,910$5,559
1900(None) Phil----$44$60$160$270$345$664$1,075$1,300$2,940$4,300
1900O----$50$132$190$376$562$1,838$3,890$6,025$10,850$29,175
1900S----$30$83$164$292$390$988$2,033$3,559$7,675$10,040
1901S----$100$343$544$1,310$2,090$4,260$6,650$10,010$11,090$16,725
1901O----$37$180$370$1,203$1,604$2,088$4,050$4,950$12,800$25,075
1901(None) Phil----$43$82$161$245$329$637$1,034$1,245$2,589$6,625
1902(None) Phil----$44$70$150$280$329$637$1,034$1,300$2,005$5,475
1902O----$47$65$200$324$461$1,103$2,005$3,638$7,775$15,775
1902S----$67$125$248$448$700$1,788$2,890$4,165$5,050$7,245
1903(None) Phil----$46$86$169$256$345$681$1,528$2,007$4,273$8,910
1903O----$47$89$177$269$476$974$1,485$2,283$4,230$9,875
1903S----$49$94$190$340$550$1,125$2,065$2,800$3,745$8,779
1904S----$120$430$952$2,347$5,888$13,000$18,250$21,375$30,495$61,550
1904(None) Phil----$23$82$200$240$329$637$1,034$1,245$3,255$7,400
1904O----$50$130$324$650$1,045$2,130$4,190$7,150$9,225$11,425
1905O----$74$225$348$489$730$1,388$1,875$2,240$4,010$5,493
1905S----$46$170$169$312$436$858$1,517$3,540$6,440$10,150
1905(None) Phil----$50$90$300$356$489$780$1,228$2,069$4,355$5,310
1906(None) Phil----$20$82$161$245$329$637$1,034$1,245$1,669$5,785
1906D----$43$82$130$245$329$637$1,034$1,245$1,972$5,310
1906O----$44$55$156$230$393$1,038$1,765$2,620$5,600$8,450
1906S----$47$96$169$256$443$957$1,560$2,008$3,339$6,030
1907S----$47$96$220$429$885$3,085$5,105$5,520$7,743$13,275
1907(None) Phil----$44$55$161$250$329$637$1,034$1,245$2,095$3,605
1907O----$47$85$205$245$329$637$1,061$1,300$1,950$4,785
1907D----$20$82$161$270$329$637$1,034$1,245$1,895$3,363
1908(None) Phil----$20$82$150$245$329$637$1,034$1,245$1,895$3,775
1908D----$19$60$150$245$329$637$1,034$1,245$2,609$3,725
1908O----$15$45$161$300$329$637$1,034$1,287$2,005$3,363
1908S----$30$121$201$484$678$1,175$1,770$2,545$3,180$7,000
1909S----$28$82$130$339$495$805$1,325$2,083$3,915$8,388
1909O----$53$80$183$495$753$1,333$1,840$3,820$5,185$9,130
1909(None) Phil----$44$55$161$300$329$637$1,034$1,245$1,895$3,363
1910(None) Phil----$59$100$202$411$487$870$1,225$1,715$3,265$4,495
1910S----$25$50$159$309$405$908$1,785$2,475$3,390$7,229
1911(None) Phil----$22$82$161$245$329$637$1,034$1,245$1,895$4,768
1911D----$45$85$169$256$343$642$1,034$1,295$2,335$4,230
1911S----$44$60$164$270$483$1,148$1,848$2,210$2,600$6,000
1912S----$23$60$167$257$359$692$1,076$1,668$3,418$6,650
1912D----$21$82$161$245$329$637$1,034$1,273$1,950$3,473
1912(None) Phil----$20$50$205$300$329$637$1,034$1,245$1,895$6,045
1913(None) Phil----$90$269$457$885$1,460$2,088$2,635$3,208$5,495$8,325
1913D----$30$80$169$261$348$677$1,014$1,220$2,698$9,125
1913S----$30$99$189$403$576$1,079$1,868$2,975$4,795$8,930
1914(None) Phil----$160$360$519$1,054$1,225$2,033$2,890$3,458$5,890$36,995
1914S----$43$85$151$269$432$730$1,203$1,813$2,935$7,950
1915(None) Phil----$110$276$397$652$993$1,563$2,890$3,305$4,080$6,710
1915D----$25$82$160$300$329$637$1,034$1,197$1,895$3,280
1915S----$25$82$161$250$440$637$1,034$1,245$1,895$3,780

Description and History

Barber half dollars are among many coins that were designed by U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber. These coins replaced older designs with a new, clean design that received mixed reception both at the time when it was circulating and today as it is collected.

But these unique coins are a product of their time in American history and a testament to the legacy that Barber left on the world of numismatics. His influence is felt throughout this era of U.S. coinage, and the struggle between his utilitarian vision and the more aesthetic vision of other designers set the stage for some of the most iconic U.S. coin issues of all time.

Barber Half Dollar Design The Barber coins came about because of a failed contest.

U.S. Mint Director Edward O. Leech took office in 1890 and one of his first acts was to propose a competition for a redesign of U.S. coinage. The competition was open to the public, though there was a short list of artists that were specifically asked to participate.

The contest only offered a reward for the winner, and none of the well-known artists invited were enthusiastic about the idea. They came back with a counterproposal that Leech could not fulfill, and as a result, all the designs submitted came from the public and not the handpicked list of artists. Barber, Boston seal engraver Henry Mitchell and famous sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens were picked to judge the designs. Not one was accepted. Later in life, Barber claimed Saint-Gaudens objected to every design. The two men were rivals in coin design, with Barber’s simplistic and workmanlike designs stemming from his craft background, while Saint-Gaudens’s fine art training made him consider aesthetics more than practicality.

With his plan to use the competition winner for a coin redesign failed, Leech asked Barber to prepare new designs for the Silver coinage currently in circulation (with the exception of the dollar, as the Morgan dollar was still being struck in large quantities).

The decision to create the next set of designs in-house caused some controversy, as some who were involved with coin design were frustrated that a man who was not a fine artist was being given the responsibility for the design. The design took time to approve, with Leech and Barber going back and forth about the finer details. There are some early pattern coins available for 1891 with some of these rejected design elements.

The obverse of the coin was the head of Liberty with a crown of olive leaves, and the reverse was a heraldic eagle on the larger coin sizes. For the time, a slight variant of the old reverse was used. The first coins of the new Barber design were struck in 1892, and the design (with slight modifications) ran through 1916.

Historical Significance Barbers were the first major redesigns for any American coinage in some time, and they marked a new era for U.S. coins after the English-inspired engravings that William Gobrecht had done for the previous Seated Liberty series.

The problem that people ran into when they were trying to redesign coins in Barber’s day was that the U.S. Mint did not have the legal grounds to do so. This was changed by an act of Congress and signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison, creating the ability for the Mint to refresh the coin designs periodically with permission from the Secretary of the Treasury.

These coins are not considered among the most beautiful American coins, but they are an important period in U.S. Mint history and coinage history as a whole.

Numismatic Value The Barber half-dollar design was revised slightly through the life of the coin as Barber made practical adjustments. As a result, there are many clear features from year to year that can show when a Barber quarter was made. High mintages mean that these coins are fairly common and inexpensive in lower grades, though high grades are worth more.

Like other Barber coins, the San Francisco and New Orleans mint mark is worth more due to the lower mintages and surviving populations. The 1892-O micro O variation is one that will fetch a high premium, particularly if in uncirculated condition.

Expand your collection today and shop our assortment of Barber Half Dollars (1892-1915).