The Barber Dime
The Barber Dime is part of the Barber Coinage consisting of two other coins – the quarter and half-dollar. The three denominations of the Barber Coinage were born in 1892 and were named after the designer itself – Charles E. Barber.
The Barber Dime came to be part of the US coinage but not before many controversies. For one, a competition was held to change the design of the dime, quarter and half dollar even if the US Mint Engraver at that time, which was Barber himself, was not in favor of. He claims that there were only a very few people who know how to create the perfect designs for the US coinage, including himself. In the end, Barber still reigned as the winner when he was appointed by US Mint Director Edward O. Leech.
Barber did know what needs to be done to create the exact specifications needed to properly strike the coins’ design. For the obverse, he used a portrait of Miss Liberty facing right. She is wearing a wreath made from laurel leaves and a Phrygian cap on her head. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is on top of Miss Liberty while the date is below it.
As for the reverse, the denomination ONE DIME is found on the center of the coin while being surrounded or enclosed by a large wreath. It weighs approximately 2.50 grams, has a diameter of 17.90 mm and has a reeded edge. It is composed of 90% Silver and 10% Copper. The Barber Dimes were minted within a span of 24 years – from 1892-1916 in US Mints located in Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco and Denver.
The Varieties, Mintage and Mint Marks of the Barber Dime
The Regular Strikes of the Barber Dime
1892 Barber Dime – 12,120,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1892-O Barber Dime – 3,841,700 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1892-S Barber Dime – 990,710 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1893 Barber Dime – 3,340,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
- 1893/2
1893-O Barber Dime – 1,760,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1893-S Barber Dime – 2,491,401 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1894 Barber Dime – 1,330,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1894-O Barber Dime – 720,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1895 Barber Dime – 690,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1895-O Barber Dime – 440,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1895-S Barber Dime – 1,120,000 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1896 Barber Dime – 2,000,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1896-O Barber Dime – 610,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1896-S Barber Dime – 575,056 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1897 Barber Dime – 10,868,533 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1897-O Barber Dime – 666,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1897-S Barber Dime – 1,342,844 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1898 Barber Dime – 16,320,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1898-O Barber Dime – 2,130,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1898-S Barber Dime – 1,702,507 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1899 Barber Dime – 19,580,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1899-O Barber Dime – 2,650,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1899-S Barber Dime – 1,867,493 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1900 Barber Dime – 17,600,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1900-O Barber Dime – 2,010,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1900-S Barber Dime – 5,168,270 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1901 Barber Dime -18,859,665 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1901-O Barber Dime – 5,620,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1901-S Barber Dime – 593,022 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1902 Barber Dime – 21,380,777 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1902-O Barber Dime – 4,500,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1902-S Barber Dime – 2,070,000 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1903 Barber Dime – 19,500,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1903-O Barber Dime – 8,180,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1903-S Barber Dime – 613,300 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1904 Barber Dime – 14,600,357 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1904-S Barber Dime – 800,000 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1905 Barber Dime – 14,551,623 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1905-O Barber Dime – 3,400,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
- 1905-O Micro O Barber Dime
1905-S Barber Dime – 6,855,199 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1906 Barber Dime – 19,957,731 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1906-D Barber Dime – 4,060,000 pieces were minted in Denver Mint
1906-O Barber Dime – 2,610,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1906-S Barber Dime – 3,136,640 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1907 Barber Dime – 22,220,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1907-D Barber Dime – 4,080,000 pieces were minted in Denver Mint
1907-O Barber Dime – 5,058,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1907-S Barber Dime – 3,178,470 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1908 Barber Dime – 10,600,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1908-D Barber Dime – 7,490,000 pieces were minted in Denver Mint
1908-O Barber Dime – 1,789,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1908-S Barber Dime – 3,220,000 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1909 Barber Dime – 10,240,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1909-D Barber Dime – 954,000 pieces were minted in Denver Mint
1909-O Barber Dime – 2,287,000 pieces were minted in New Orleans Mint
1909-S Barber Dime – 1,000,000 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1910 Barber Dime – 11,520,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1910-D Barber Dime – 3,490,000 pieces were minted in Denver Mint
1910-S Barber Dime – 1,240,000 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1911 Barber Dime – 18,870,543 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1911-D Barber Dime – 11,209,000 pieces were minted in Denver Mint
1911-S Barber Dime – 3,520,000 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1912 Barber Dime – 19,349,300 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1912-D Barber Dime – 11,760,000 pieces were minted in Denver Mint
1912-S Barber Dime – 3,420,000 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1913 Barber Dime – 19,760,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1913-S Barber Dime – 510,000 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1914 Barber Dime – 17,360,230 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1914-D Barber Dime – 11,908,000 pieces were minted in Denver Mint
1914-S Barber Dime – 2,100,000 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1915 Barber Dime – 5,620,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1915-S Barber Dime – 960,000 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
1916 Barber Dime – 18,490,000 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1916-S Barber Dime – 5,820,000 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
Proofs
1892 Barber Dime (Proof) – 1,245 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1893 Barber Dime (Proof) – 792 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1894 Barber Dime (Proof) – 972 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1895 Barber Dime (Proof) – 880 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1896 Barber Dime (Proof) – 762 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1897 Barber Dime (Proof) – 731 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1898 Barber Dime (Proof) – 735 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1899 Barber Dime (Proof) – 846 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1900 Barber Dime (Proof) – 912 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1901 Barber Dime (Proof) – 813 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1902 Barber Dime (Proof) – 777 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1903 Barber Dime (Proof) – 755 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1904 Barber Dime (Proof) – 670 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1905 Barber Dime (Proof) – 727 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1906 Barber Dime (Proof) – 675 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1907 Barber Dime (Proof) – 575 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1908 Barber Dime (Proof) – 545 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1909 Barber Dime (Proof) – 650 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1910 Barber Dime (Proof) – 551 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1911 Barber Dime (Proof) – 543 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1912 Barber Dime (Proof) – 700 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1913 Barber Dime (Proof) – 622 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1914 Barber Dime (Proof) – 425 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1915 Barber Dime (Proof) – 450 pieces were minted in Philadelphia Mint
1894-S Barber Dime (Proof) – 24 pieces were minted in San Francisco Mint
Collecting Barber Dimes
When it comes to Barber Dimes, the rarest of them all which was also the considered the rarest coin in the history of the US Coinage is the 1894-S Barber Dime. There were only about 24 pieces of the 1894-S dime ever recorded to be minted, and only 10 were accounted for to this day. It is still a huge mystery as to where the remaining 14 1894-S Barber Dimes are currently located, which were all proof coins that were said to have been struck in only one die.
There were many interesting stories revolving around the 1894-S Barber Dime. However, one that definitely stood out was the famously known as the Ice Cream Specimen. J. Daggett, the US San Francisco Mint Superintendent at that time was the one who supervised the minting of the 1894-Barber Dime. It is said that he gave 3 of these special issued Barber Dime to Hallie, his daughter with the strict instruction to keep them with her until she gets old as these will be of high value after a few years. Hallie kept two of these coins but used one to buy a single dish of ice cream on her way home.
In 2016, an 1894-S Barber Dime was sold for 2 Million Dollars by John Feigenbaum. Another variety worth collecting is1895-O and 1893/2 overdate. One can purchase Barber Dimes that were PCGS-graded from $4.00-$68,500.00 for regular strike coins and $185.00-$26,000.00 for Proofs, and with the rarest of them all, the 1894-S worth up to $2,000.000.00. One can easily collect Barber Dimes by type set collectors except for the rarest 1894-S and 1895-O.
References:
PCGS, PCGS CoinFacts, NGC, CoinFacts, The Spruce