Tthe Carson City Seated Liberty dimes struck from 1871 through 1874 are exceedingly rare. A fully uncirculated dime will cost around $120. Look closely to confirm no smoothing of edges to the leaves is present. [53], According to Burdette, "agitation to replace Barber's banal 1892 Liberty head began almost before the first coins were cold from the press. [49] The rarest half dollar is the 1892-O "Micro O", in which the mint mark "O" for New Orleans was impressed on the half dollar die with a puncheon intended for the quarter; other key dates are the regular 1892-O, 1892-S, 1893-S, 1897-O, 1897-S, 1913, 1914, and 1915. 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. Professional Coin Grading Services is a division of Collectors Universe, Inc. Get free numismatic news from leading coin experts, in-depth articles, market summary videos, surveys & more! Headband with lettering is missing. Grading old dimes is the key step to finding an accurate value of your coins. "[29] Saint-Gaudens was also interviewed, and as author Moran put it, "injudiciously ranted": "This is inept; this looks like it had been designed by a young lady of sixteen, a miss who had taken only a few lessons in modeling. 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. By 1965, a coinage act removed all the silver from dimes, which was replaced by the less valuable copper and nickel. Whitman Publishing, 2021. Bust, Seated Liberty, to Barber, Mercury, and Roosevelt Dimes. silver A Denver mint dime is noted by the "D" mintmark below the wreath on the reverse. Avoid coins that have been cleaned, as it generally hurts the value. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Visit the in-depth page with close-up images and descriptions covers the process of grading. Can the Constitution be changed by the president? You will find that even under close inspection these coins show absolutely no signs of wear or damage whatsoever. In addition to inviting the ten artists, he had sent thousands of solicitations through the country; a number of designs were submitted in response to the circulars. 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. Upper leaves remain well defined and bold from where they lay over the cap. The 1913-S Barber dime pictured is a pleasing example and solid collector quality. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. between the words QUARTER and DOLLAR). The diameter of these coins is 17.9mm. Copyright 2023 JM Bullion. Coin Values Discovery finds Barber Dime Value and All old US coin values. The 1894 S silver Barber Dime is one of the rarest and most valuable US coins ever made. Furthermore, he designed the obverses of the 1892 and 1893 Columbian Exposition Half Dollar, the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition Half Dollar, 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition Quarter Eagle, and 1916 and 1917 William McKinley Memorial Gold Dollars. In 1892, the branch mints tried to align the mintmark with the eagle's central tail feather. The reverse side (back) of the dime depicts a wreath and inscription like that of the Seated Liberty Dime, which was minted from 1837 to 1891. The O mint mark is much smaller than the normal sized mint mark. Type I quarters are rarer for each mint. A significant number of Barber dimes are affected by the movements of silver. She wears a pileus and a small headband inscribed "Liberty". The 1905-O Micro O mint mark Barber dime. Mintage totaled 3.4 million pieces, with most receiving extensive wear over time. According to the story, she spent one on a dish of ice cream, but kept the other two until 1954. Whitman Publishing, 2013. [39] Vermeule argued that "the designs of Barber's coins were more attuned to the times than he perhaps realized. [13][26], The question of how to render the stars (representing the 13 original states) on the coin was posed in the letters;[28] in the end, Leech opted for six-pointed stars on the obverse and five-pointed ones on the reverse. Start by picking a particular detail on the coin such as the wreath on the Liberty Head. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. These coins may be valued from $1.96 to $21. 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. Some letters are faint. More ten-cent pieces were expected to be struck there later in the year, but this did not occur. D mint mark - Barber dimes with the D mint mark were minted in Denver. Today, attention is on better grade examples, leaving lower condition coin to trade near silver value. So, Where is the Mint Mark on Mercury Dimes? Zyrus Press, 2009. Invited artists, however, did not participate in the contest because only the winner would walk away with a cash prize. [8][9] Among those who called for new coinage was editor Richard Watson Gilder of The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine. First task is recognizing higher quality dimes to further evaluate. 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. Surrounding her bust is the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and the year the coin was made. Rim is well raised from the field in most areas. [13], On October 16, 1890, a new Mint director, Edward O. Leech, took office. After confirming the date from the obverse of the coin, mintmarks are located on the reverse. He left the [dime] rev[erse] design as it had been since 1860, with minor simplifications. Realize a Barber dime value increases as the condition improves, often dramatically. The proposal for a decimal-based coinage system was brought about by the collaborative efforts of Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin. 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. Proof Coins can be Worth $572 or more. A 1909-D, minted in Denver, may fetch nearly $100 if in extremely fine condition. Though there were over 300 submissions to the committee in charge of selection, only two were even awarded an honorable mention. Leaves of the wreath holding cap are well defined over the cap. He sought new designs for both sides of the dollar, and for the obverses of the half dollar, quarter, and dimeLeech was content to let the reverses of the Seated Liberty coins continue. As only the winner would receive a cash prize, invited artists refused to participate and no entry from the public proved suitable. 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. Lower row of leaves over Liberty's ear and temple area are losing the edge definition and merging smooth. [7], Public dissatisfaction with the newly-issued Morgan dollar led the Mint's engravers to submit designs for the smaller silver coins in 1879. Widespread blending of outer edges of the wreath with rim indicated a lower condition and value coin. Reverse: Features Identifying Extremely Fine Grade: A softening of the defined edges to leaves, grains of wheat and corn are just beginning to show on the design. The most common 1909 Barber Dime was minted in Philadelphia and has no mint mark. How do you win an academic integrity case? Doing so can be well worth it, however, as the better the condition of the coin the more potentially valuable it may be. Value charts, grading images and descriptions uncover how much your box of old coins is worth. 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. The result is not very flattering to the boasted artistic development of this country, inasmuch as only two of the three hundred suggestions submitted were good enough to receive honorable mention.[18]. There are small differences between quarters produced at the different mints. (JM Bullion) 1929 Mercury dime Image By the late 1880s, there were increasing calls for the replacement of the Seated Liberty design. Since the price of silver determines worth of a bullion piece. Due to Gilder's prominence in the coinage redesign movement, Leech felt the need to respond personally, which he did in early August. Those that spent decades in circulation with visible signs of wear typically cost $4 to $100, depending . 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. Copyright 2007-2023 Daniel A. HarrisAll Rights Reserved, https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/554591. Uncirculated coins with a grade of MS 63 can sell for around $1,050. 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. 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. Four mints struck these dimes over the years and how to identify each is locating the mintmark on the reverse. Quick Links: West, Doug. [10], In 1885, Burchard was succeeded as Mint director by James Kimball. 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. "[42], Other reactions were unfavorable. 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. 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. [51][59] The production difficulties were eventually ironed out, and at least token quantities of each of the new coins were struck in 1916, putting an end to the Barber coinage series. By creating an account, you are agreeing to the Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy. We get a lot of questions from coin collectors across numismatics, and one subject that comes up from time to time are questions about a B mint mark on Barber Dimes, Barber Quarters, and Barber Half Dollars. Because a coins condition can have such a drastic effect on its value, you will want to closely examine your coin. Dealers and collectors have a practiced and keen eye for spotting better condition coins. Helping contribute to the nation's coinage, New Orleans typically struck over a million Barber dimes yearly. Any fading of the wreath to the rim is minor and confined to one small part. Using mint year 1909 as an example, the Barber Dime you want to find is the 1909-S minted in San Francisco. The first United States dimes were minted in 1796 in Philadelphia. [24][25] Leech replied, stating that he did not care how much effort was expended in order to improve the design, especially since, once issued, they would have to be used for 25 years. The design reflected an English influence, and as artistic tastes changed over time, was increasingly disliked in the United States. Checking the date and then the mintmark confirms its place on the value chart. 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. Reverse: Features Identifying the Good Grade: Wreath is heavily worn and many leaves are flat and connected without defined edges. Where was the Dayton peace agreement signed? Barber would serve nine presidents in the position, remaining until his death in 1917, when Morgan would succeed him. Compare your coins to the grading images below. You will need a high-grade coin to clearly determine this variety. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Current Silver Bullion Value: $1.83. Silver Weight: .07234 oz. 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! I thought mintmarks were added at Philadelphia and then sent out to the branch mints. Aegis3, yes of course you are correct according to what is generally believed. On the quarter and half dollar, the motto "In God We Trust" appears above her head; she is otherwise surrounded with 13 six-pointed stars and the date. The 1892-S is one of the rarest and most renowned coins in numismatics. [38] Burdette terms Barber's designs, "typically mediocre imitations of the current French-stylehardly better than the arcane seated Liberty type they replaced". Those who worked with Barber, and some collectors today, speculate that this was what Barber desired all along. [35] W.T.R. 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. This melt value is calculated from the current silver spot price of $24.94 per ounce. With legislators busy with other matters, it was not until September 26, 1890, that President Benjamin Harrison signed legislation making all denominations of U.S. coins available for immediate redesign by the Mint upon obtaining the Secretary of the Treasury's approval. During its short life, the Barber Silver Dime was struck at the U.S. Mints in Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. The silver melt value for this coin is $1.80 as of April 30, 2023. Philadelphia Barber Dimes have no mint mark. 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. History Contours giving the leaf depth remain. What is the most valuable Mercury head dime? Lettering of "Liberty" across the band just above her eye is readable. 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 had spoken with Saint-Gaudens on the same subject; the sculptor stated that only four men in the world were capable of executing high-quality coin designs; three lived in France and he was the fourth. The 1913 Mo Mint mark Barber dime mintage was 19,760,000 pieces. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. [7] In 1876, The Galaxy magazine said of the then current silver coins: Why is it we have the ugliest money of all civilized nations? The Barber coinage consisted of dime, quarters and half-dollars. The 1895-O dime is the next rarest in the series with only 440,000 minted. The 1894-S rarely appears for sale on the market, and when one does, it sells for well over one million dollars. Your summary of where to find the mintmark positions matches the coins in my collection. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. A step by step method is used to determine how much your coin is worth. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for BARBER DIMES-100 COINS-$10.00 FACE-90% SILVER-P, D, S & O MINT MARKS-CIRC (#2) at the best online prices at eBay! Laurel leaves are part of the wreath holding the Liberty cap. If your coin is better preserved the value increases sharply in "Extremely Fine" condition. ): The mint mark, when present, can be found on the reverse side of the coin below the wreath. "[59] There were sufficient half dollars from 1915 available to meet demand; no Barber halves were struck in 1916. Use the how-to video plus images and descriptions to judge condition. Barber Dimes (1892-1916). It looks like you're new here. The last significant variety is the 1912-S Double-Die obverse. In addition, these coins were only minted for a relatively short period of time and their silver content also adds to their attractiveness. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The coins design has been the subject of mixed reviews from both artists and the public. 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). To judge the submissions, he appointed a jury consisting of Saint-Gaudens, Barber, and Henry Mitchell, a Boston seal engraver and member of the 1890 Assay Commission. Evidence of leaves to a wreath are missing. Over the course of the series San Francisco's total was just over 52 million pieces. The director ordered the Chief Engraver at the U.S. Mint, Charles Barber, to prepare the designs. to $3.72 Only 9 of them are known to still exist. These dates command a significant premium over the price of a common date dime. [30] Barber's monogram "B" is on the cutoff of Liberty's neck; the mint mark, on the dime, is placed beneath the wreath on the reverse[33] and beneath the eagle on the larger denominations. Portrait of Liberty is still well defined with most major details defined.