The silver melt value for this coin is $1.81 as of April 30, 2023. A significant number of Barber dimes are affected by the movements of silver. That young woman sitting on nothing in particular, wearing nothing to speak of, looking over her shoulder at nothing imaginable, and bearing in her left hand something that looks like a broomstick with a woolen nightcap on itwhat is she doing there? 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. The above chart represents wholesale coin values. His father and grandfather were both engravers. One variety each of pattern dime and quarter are known, whereas five different half dollars are extant; all known Barber coin patterns are in the National Numismatic Collection and none are in private hands. Which is the most valuable Barber dime today? - Last updated: June, 10 2022. Every date and mintmark combination in Extremely Fine grade is well above base bullion value. Other submissions from the public also proved to be unsuitable. In addition to the trio of silver Barber coins, he also had to his name the circulating Liberty Nickel and many commemoratives that include the 1893 Isabella Quarter, 1900 Lafayette Dollar, 1903 Louisiana Purchase Exposition Gold Dollar, and the 1904 and 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition Gold Dollars. 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. Each of the eight persons in the group received three of the rare dimes. Computed from dealer's price lists with various mark-up factors figured in. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Eye pleasing coins are well received by collectors. They decided to recommend the appointment of Barber, who was subsequently nominated by President Rutherford B. Hayes and in February 1880, was confirmed by the Senate. The 1895-O dime is the next rarest in the series with only 440,000 minted. 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. Because a coins condition can have such a drastic effect on its value, you will want to closely examine your coin. 1898 Barber Dime The composition of these coins is 90% silver and 10% copper. Quick Links: Preparing, organizing, and planning all combine to improve results. Condition of your coin plays the largest role in finding a scarce and collector quality dime. [46] Breen, on the other hand, related that San Francisco Mint Superintendent John Daggett had the dimes struck for a group of banker friends, giving three to each. The rarest and most valuable is the . Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. to $3.72 Current Silver Bullion Value: $1.83. Dimes were minted here is all years other than 1894. Collecting & Investing Strategies for Barber Dimes (Strategy Guide Series). On November 6, President Harrison and his Cabinet considered which of the designs to approve, and chose one without the clouds; the following day, Leech ordered working dies prepared. Instead of a design based on French coinage, it depicted a standing figure of Columbia, bearing a pileus (a crown fashioned from an olive branch) atop a liberty pole; an eagle spreading its wings stands behind her. This year was the last year for Barber dimes and the starting year for Mercury dimes.. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Since the price of silver determines worth of a bullion piece. In uncirculated condition the value is around $475 for coins with an MS 60 grade. However, in Extremely Fine grade all are collector coins. Quantities are available in Good to Fine grade for the rest of the dates. Most dates in the Barber coin series are not difficult to obtain, but the 1894 dime struck at the San Francisco Mint (1894-S), with a mintage of 24, is a great rarity. The design reflected an English influence, and as artistic tastes changed over time, was increasingly disliked in the United States. great post sunnywood and a lot better than the BCCS black and white pictures. The 1894 S silver Barber Dime is one of the rarest and most valuable US coins ever made. Enterprising fraudsters soon realized that the nickel and half eagle (or five-dollar gold piece) were close in size, and plated the base metal coins to pass to the unwary. The visitors left disappointed, after learning that Burchard considered the much-criticized Morgan dollar as beautiful as any of them. "[37] In his text introducing the Barber quarter, Breen states, "the whole composition is Germanically stolid, prosy, crowded (especially on rev[erse]), and without discernible merit aside from the technical one of low relief". Liberty's cheek and the top portion of her cap display smoothness and a slight flatness to their once raised profile. [10], In 1885, Burchard was succeeded as Mint director by James Kimball. Production of dimes started immediately striking 4 million dated 1906. Between 1938 and 1964 the mint mark is on the reverse on the right-hand side lower corner of Monticello. All three men worked to secure a bill to authorize new designs: Morrill by introducing and pressing legislation, Kimball by lobbying for the authority in his annual report, and Gilder by orchestrating favorable coverage. Over the years, the coin collectors have given the dimes designed by Charles Barber the name Barber dimes in his honor. In 1891, Mint Director Edward O. Leech, having been authorized by Congress to approve coin redesigns, ordered a competition, seeking a new look for the silver coins. By 1965, a coinage act removed all the silver from dimes, which was replaced by the less valuable copper and nickel. Key dates for the dime include the 1895-O (with the lowest mintage), 1896-S, 1897-O, 1901-S and 1903-S. For the quarter, key dates are the very low mintage 1896-S, 1901-S, and 1913-S issues, with the 1901-S particularly scarce. How much silver is in a Barber dime? Various stories attend the question of how so few came to be coined. Visit the in-depth page with close-up images and descriptions covers the process of grading. . [50][51] Thus, although most dates are easily obtainable, many are scarce in higher and uncirculated grades. Discover how much your box of old coins is worth. [26][27] The letter from Barber was a lengthy technical explanation for various design elements, and requested further advice from Leech if he had preferences; the overall tone was argumentative. In the city of Denver Colorado a new mint to handle distribution of coins to the central states was completed in 1906. 1913 Year Barber US Dimes (1892-1916), Philadelphia U.S. Mint Certified US Liberty Nickels (1883-1913), Philadelphia Barber US Dimes (1892-1916), Silver Barber Dimes . What is the most valuable Mercury head dime? 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. If the wreath has maintained some texture but still has noticeable signs of wear and erosion, the coin might be considered to be in fine condition. The Commission rejected the Barber and Morgan designs and proposed Adolph Weinman, Hermon MacNeil, and Albin Polasek as designers. A dividing line of bullion to collector quality is found in scarce dates, scarce mintmarks, and always in preservation of the coin, its grade. Inspect the hair just above Liberty's forehead. Those in the mint state cost $110 to $1,000, but collectors often pay $6,000 to $7,200 for precious pieces in an MS 67 grade. All told, Barbers legacy as witnessed through his artistic touch goes far beyond the scope of the three Barber silver coins carrying his name today. Dealers and collectors have a practiced and keen eye for spotting better condition coins. Liberty dime could refer to either the Barber or Mercury dime. [39] Vermeule argued that "the designs of Barber's coins were more attuned to the times than he perhaps realized. Surrounding her bust is the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the year the coin was made. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. The coins design has been the subject of mixed reviews from both artists and the public. Philadelphia mint, living up to its status and the main mint, produced over 346 million Barber dimes. [19], Frustrated at the competition's outcome, Leech instructed Barber on June 11, 1891, to prepare designs for the half dollar, quarter, and dime. The doubling is visible in the word UNITED.. Kimball submitted the issue to government lawyers; they indicated that the Mint lacked the claimed authority. As the story goes on her way home from the mint, she spent one of the dimes on ice cream. [8][9] Among those who called for new coinage was editor Richard Watson Gilder of The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine. The committee met in June 1891 and quickly rejected all entries.[15]. These coins may be valued from $1.96 to $21. Daggett gave his three to his daughter, telling her to put them away until her old age; then, she could sell them for a good price. Nice eye appealing coins are always in demand. Checking the date and then the mintmark confirms its place on the value chart. There are hundreds of artists in this country, any of whom, with the aid of a designer, could have made a very respectable coin, which this is not. A 1909-D, minted in Denver, may fetch nearly $100 if in extremely fine condition. While prices can and do fluctuate, these silver coins may see increasing price appreciation in the coming years as the coins age. Your Barber dime value is $3.07 to $3.58 for a common date coin in heavily worn Good condition. The new coin had its denomination designated by a Roman numeral "V" on the reverse; the three-cent coin had always had a "III" to designate its denomination. 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. According to numismatist David Lange, "Barber must have secretly smiled to himself as his familiar Roman bust of Liberty once again dropped from the presses by the thousands, and then by the millions. The Barber dime series doesnt have a lot of major die varieties when it is compared to other series of coins. Mint director Edward Leech ordered a competition to come up with a new design for the coinage. On the dime, her head is surrounded with "United States of America" and the year. 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. Value This coin in circulated condition is worth at least its weight in silver. A 1909-O, minted in New Orleans, may be valued around $73 if in extremely fine condition. To qualify at the mint state level the surface of the coin is free of wear. Introduction into the selling coins process. So, Where is the Mint Mark on Mercury Dimes? HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Free shipping for many products! Any wear shows a change in color - a dulling - to the metal. The coins mint mark can be found on the reverse under the wreath. Obverse: Features Identifying the Good Grade: Once a coin is worn to the point major detail is missing a Good grade is defined. Copyright 2007-2023 Daniel A. HarrisAll Rights Reserved, https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/554591. The proposal for a decimal-based coinage system was brought about by the collaborative efforts of Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin. Alloy of a silver dime is 90% silver to 10% copper by weight. In addition, these coins were only minted for a relatively short period of time and their silver content also adds to their attractiveness. Is the 1898 Barber dime still in circulation? Instead, these coins were almost immediately preserved as soon as they were produced. Liberty is portrayed wearing a liberty cap and laurel leaves. I was surprised to learn about all the different mintmark placements on these coins. It designated that the piece was minted at the Carson City Mint in Nevada. Everyone recognized this beautiful silver coin, and today it is cherished as a genuine piece of our nation's history. Ambio, Jeff. Barber made adjustments in his design to remedy this problem. First, Barber invited famous sculptors to compete, setting strict requirements. 1856-S Seated Liberty dime. The following excerpt from an article by David Lange of NGC corroborates this and provides further interesting information: CoolI always found the mint mark placement on Barber quarters interesting You Suck! Only 9 of them are known to still exist. Many of the top artists in the country boycotted the design contest due to the short timeframe and the low prize money. He told Gilder that "artistic designs for coins, that would meet the ideas of an art critic like yourself, and artists generally, are not always adapted for practical coining". 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. 75th edition. Mint Marks The United States Mint produced Barber Dimes at four different mints: Philadelphia (no mint mark), New Orleans (O), Denver (D) and San Francisco (S). Mintage numbers were modest in comparison to Philadelphia. Saint-Gaudens was uncomfortable with small medals and typically designed life-size or larger figures the 1891 competition turned the two against each other for the rest of their lives. Barber Half Dollars (1892-1915) By the late 1880s, there were increasing calls for the replacement of the Seated Liberty design. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Evidence of leaves to a wreath are missing. Date of coin is under Liberty's portrait. Silver dimes, quarters, half dollars, and silver dollars are all heavy with 90% silver and worth many times their face value. 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. 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". It is also helpful to know grading a coin is not an exact science. silver They have rather the appearance of tokens or mean medals. 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. [40], Leech released the new designs to the press about November 10, 1891. If the wreath remains robust with a solid texture and no signs of wear or discoloration, then your coin may potentially be in extremely fine condition. As the 1916 date approached when the Barber coins could be changed without an act of Congress, calls for a new design increased. The first dime produced in a U.S. Mint building was struck in 1796. But there never yet has been a United States Mint facility whose mint mark is seen as a B. So what is that B on Barber coinage all about? [16], Most of the artists conferred in New York and responded in a joint letter that they would be willing to participate, but not on the terms set. Year: 1899. Doubleday, 1988. Little admired or collected for more than three generations after their appearance [writing in 1971], these essentially conservative but most dignified coins have suddenly become extremely popular with collectors". Before his death in 1907, the sculptor provided designs for the double eagle and eagle, though the double eagle required adjustment by Barber to lower the relief before it could be released as a circulating coin. 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. A mint mark of S, D, or O will appear below the wreath unless the coin was minted in Philadelphia; in this case, there will be no mint mark present.
