| Coin | Weight (g) | Composition | Silver Melt Value | Full Melt Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barber (1892-1916) | 12.5 | 90% silver, 10% copper |
1893 Barber Half Dollar
The Barber Half Dollar silver coin was minted from 1892 to 1916. They are named after their designer Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber. They all have a reeded edge and composed of 90% silver and 10% copper. The Barber silver half dollar coin is 30.6mm in diameter and weighs 12.5 grams.
The obverse of the Barber Half Dollar has a Liberty head which looks similar to the Morgan dollar Liberty however it faces right and the hair is under a cap which has a laurel wreath tied with a ribbon at the back and a band with “LIBERTY” inscribed on it. The date is directly underneath with “IN GOD WE TRUST” encircling the top of the coin. There are six stars encircling the right and seven on the left of the coin.
Its reverse has a bald eagle herald with the national shield. The right talon clutches an olive branch and the left clutches thirteen arrows. In the beak is a ribbon with the inscription “E PLURIBUS UNIM”. There is a field of thirteen stars above the eagle. For the first time on a United States coins Barber used five-point stars as opposed to the traditional six-point stars. “.HALF DOLLAR.” encircles the bottom of the coin and “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” encircles the top.
Auctions Close to Melt Values
 1904 Barber Silver Half Dollar $2.25 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 9h 40m |
 1908-O Barber Silver Half Dollar $3.00 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 10h 58m |
 1908 Barber Half Dollar - Nice - 90% Silver! $6.51 (4 Bids) Time Remaining: 15h 58m |
 1900-O Barber Half Dollar - Turn of the Century Silver! $8.61 (6 Bids) Time Remaining: 16h 14m |
 1912d BARBER silver HALF DOLLAR "Very Good/Fine" condition. Not junk silver $9.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 16h 37m |
 1915s BARBER silver HALF DOLLAR " Good+" condition. Not junk silver $9.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 16h 38m |
 1901 Barber Half Dollar 90% Silver $9.99 Time Remaining: 16h 47m |
 1903-0 BARBER HALF DOLLAR – GREAT Condition!! REAL SILVER!! $9.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 17h 15m |
 1909 Silver Barber Half Dollar Free S/H!!! $8.79 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 17h 39m |
The mint mark it is directly below the tail. They all were struck out of either Philadelphia with no mint mark, New Orleans marked “O” (which closed for good in 1909), Denver with a “D” (opened in 1906), or San Francisco with an “S”.
The Barber Half Dollar only had very minor changes done during its striking history to insure the quality of the strike and for all practical purposes are considered for collecting. However less than 60 of the 1892 New Orleans strike used a small ”o” mint mark, called the “Micro O”, these are very valuable.
1913 S Barber Half Dollar
Mint State coins are rare considering the heavy usage these coins had in circulation of these silver coins in “Very Fine” and higher are prized. If, on the obverse, you can make out the “LIBERTY” on the band, details for the eye and mouth, then outlines on the leaves with some hair and ear detail, then that Barber Half Dollar is probably “Very Fine” or better. Then on the reverse you want to be able to see most if not all “E PLURIBUS UNUM” on the banner and 50% to 75% of the feather detail on the eagle. For higher grades Liberty’s check and the eagles wing tips are scrutinized. There are Proof Barber Half Dollar silver coins struck for every year from the Philadelphia Mint. The Proofs ranged in number per year from 1,245 in 1892 to 380 in 1914.
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