Values
A Barber half’s market depends on the date, the mint mark, and the grade. Melt is a different conversation. This page is a series reference, not a price list.
The G, VF, and MS-63 columns sit in the mintage chart below. Those figures are from the NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-23. They are a published guide, not an offer and not melt. A blank cell means that grade was not printed in this pass.
A dealer looking at the coin in hand will beat a guide number. If you are trying to sell a pile of them, start with how to sell a coin collection and the Ohio coin dealer directory.
Key Dates
This page does not invent a CoinFacts key list. NGC Coin Explorer is the catalog used for this pass. There is no key-date bolding on the mintage chart for that reason.
No key-date list is printed here yet.
Key date names: NGC Coin Explorer. This is a name list, not a price list.
Errors
These are named varieties. They are not extra invented rows.
1892-O Micro O. NGC prints that listing. It sits under 1892-O with no extra count.
Blank NGC mintage years. Those years stay off the count column. This page will not invent those figures.
Compare the coin in hand to the NGC Coin Explorer Barber half page. We do not host their plates.
Varieties
Barber halves do not split into design types. The mint-mark style NGC already prints is the one this page will name.
- 1892-O Micro OA smaller O than the usual 1892-O. NGC prints that listing. It sits under 1892-O with no extra count.
Names follow PCGS CoinFacts and NGC, the same publishers this site already cites. This is a name list, not a price list and not a count.
Mintage
Barber halves were struck at Philadelphia, New Orleans, Denver, and San Francisco from 1892 through 1915. The counts below are NGC Coin Explorer figures retrieved 2026-08-23.
| Year | Mint | Mintage | NGC ID | G | VF | MS-63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1892 | P | 934,000 | 16461 | $50 | $250 | $1,000 |
| 1892 | O | 390,000 | 16462 | $425 | $875 | $2,000 |
| 1892 | O Micro O | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 516463 | $5,500 | $15,000 | $50,000 |
| 1893 | S | 740,000 | 16467 | $250 | $1,150 | $4,650 |
| 1893 | O | 1,389,000 | 16466 | $75 | $385 | $1,350 |
| 1894 | P | 1,148,000 | 16468 | $55 | $275 | $1,350 |
| 1894 | O | 2,138,000 | 16469 | $50 | $300 | $1,300 |
| 1895 | P | 1,834,338 | 16471 | $50 | $275 | $1,050 |
| 1895 | S | 1,108,086 | 16473 | $75 | $425 | $1,800 |
| 1895 | O | 1,766,000 | 16472 | $70 | $300 | $1,675 |
| 1896 | S | 1,140,948 | 16476 | $150 | $1,000 | $3,800 |
| 1896 | O | 924,000 | 16475 | $90 | $1,500 | $16,500 |
| 1897 | S | 933,900 | 16479 | $200 | $1,100 | $4,000 |
| 1897 | O | 632,000 | 16478 | $190 | $1,100 | $5,750 |
| 1898 | P | 2,956,000 | 16480 | $37.50 | $190 | $1,100 |
| 1898 | S | 2,358,550 | 16482 | $45 | $350 | $3,150 |
| 1898 | O | 874,000 | 16481 | $80 | $515 | $2,800 |
| 1899 | P | 5,538,000 | 16483 | $37.50 | $175 | $975 |
| 1899 | S | 1,686,411 | 16485 | $40 | $170 | $2,450 |
| 1899 | O | 1,724,000 | 16484 | $37.50 | $185 | $1,700 |
| 1900 | S | 2,560,322 | 16488 | $37.50 | $175 | $2,000 |
| 1900 | O | 2,744,000 | 16487 | $45 | $300 | $4,000 |
| 1902 | P | 4,922,000 | 16492 | $37.50 | $175 | $950 |
| 1902 | O | 2,526,000 | 16493 | $37.50 | $175 | $2,350 |
| 1903 | P | 2,278,000 | 16495 | $37.50 | $175 | $1,250 |
| 1903 | O | 2,100,000 | 16496 | $37.50 | $215 | $1,500 |
| 1904 | P | 2,992,000 | 16498 | $37.50 | $175 | $1,025 |
| 1904 | S | 553,038 | 16500 | $100 | $2,150 | $20,000 |
| 1904 | O | 1,117,600 | 16499 | $40 | $500 | $3,900 |
| 1905 | P | 662,000 | 16501 | $37.50 | $260 | $1,300 |
| 1905 | O | 505,000 | 16502 | $37.50 | $410 | $1,750 |
| 1906 | P | 2,638,000 | 16504 | $37.50 | $175 | $800 |
| 1906 | D | 4,028,000 | 16505 | $37.50 | $175 | $850 |
| 1906 | S | 1,740,154 | 16507 | $37.50 | $180 | $1,650 |
| 1906 | O | 2,446,000 | 16506 | $37.50 | $175 | $1,600 |
| 1907 | P | 2,598,000 | 16508 | $37.50 | $175 | $800 |
| 1907 | D | 3,856,000 | 16509 | $37.50 | $175 | $900 |
| 1907 | S | 1,250,000 | 16511 | $37.50 | $410 | $4,950 |
| 1907 | O | 3,946,000 | 16510 | $37.50 | $175 | $900 |
| 1908 | P | 1,354,000 | 16512 | $37.50 | $175 | $875 |
| 1908 | D | 3,280,000 | 16513 | $37.50 | $175 | $915 |
| 1908 | S | 1,644,828 | 16515 | $37.50 | $190 | $2,450 |
| 1909 | P | 2,368,000 | 16516 | $37.50 | $175 | $800 |
| 1909 | S | 1,764,000 | 16518 | $37.50 | $175 | $1,500 |
| 1909 | O | 925,400 | 16517 | $37.50 | $250 | $1,700 |
| 1910 | P | 418,000 | 16519 | $37.50 | $300 | $1,200 |
| 1910 | S | 1,948,000 | 16520 | $37.50 | $210 | $2,000 |
| 1911 | P | 1,406,000 | 16521 | $37.50 | $175 | $800 |
| 1911 | D | 695,080 | 16522 | $37.50 | $175 | $1,000 |
| 1911 | S | 1,272,000 | 16523 | $37.50 | $200 | $1,800 |
| 1912 | S | 1,370,000 | 16526 | $37.50 | $175 | $1,300 |
| 1913 | P | 188,000 | 16527 | $80 | $585 | $2,400 |
| 1913 | D | 534,000 | 16528 | $37.50 | $185 | $950 |
| 1913 | S | 604,000 | 16529 | $37.50 | $175 | $1,700 |
| 1914 | P | 124,230 | 16530 | $130 | $585 | $2,450 |
| 1914 | S | 992,000 | 16531 | $37.50 | $175 | $1,300 |
| 1915 | P | 138,000 | 16532 | $85 | $425 | $2,750 |
| 1915 | S | 1,604,000 | 16534 | $37.50 | $175 | $900 |
Mintage: NGC Coin Explorer, retrieved 2026-08-23. A blank year in the prose is a year NGC did not print. These are Explorer manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Collector-standard year/mint presentation follows A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book). These cells are Mint manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Values: NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-23. Guide values, not offers. Not melt. NGC IDs link to the same publisher’s price-guide listing.
Key date names: NGC Coin Explorer. Bold rows are only dates that publisher named.
NGC ID: NGC Coin Explorer listing number, retrieved 2026-08-21. A dash means this pass did not record an ID.
Years NGC left blank stay off this chart. 1892-O Micro O is a variety row under 1892-O. Guide cells retrieved 2026-08-23.
These are NGC Explorer manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt. The grade columns in the same box are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer. Years NGC left blank stay off the chart.
Read the date. Read the mint mark. Look at LIBERTY in the headband.
Specifications
These are mint specs, not what a dealer pays. Wear can take a little weight off. We will not invent a tolerance.
A Barber half is the historic .900 silver half, the same size family as Walking Liberty and Franklin.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 30.6 mm |
| Thickness | 2.15 mm |
| Weight | 12.5 g |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Fine silver | 0.36169 troy oz. Melt math uses this figure. It does not appraise a coin. |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | Charles E. Barber |
Thickness 2.15 mm, weight 12.5 g, and diameter 30.6 mm are the Numista Barber half type page (N#10085). Fine silver is the same 0.36169 troy oz the melt calculator uses for a 90 percent half.
Grading
A Barber half wears first on Liberty’s headband and cheek, and on the eagle’s breast. Same Barber portrait language as the dime and quarter, larger canvas.
Years NGC left blank stay off the mintage chart. 1892-O Micro O is a named variety.
Key Diagnostic Areas
| Area | What to examine | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| LIBERTY on the headband | The letters in the headband. | Those letters flatten first. |
| Cheek and hair | Liberty’s cheek and the hair above the ear. | The cheek goes slick while the wreath can still look busy. |
| Eagle’s breast | The feathers on the center of the eagle. | The breast goes flat before the wings look tired. |
| Date and mint mark | The numerals and the mint mark below the eagle. | A worn date is a worn half. |
Circulated & Mint State
These cards describe this coin, not a second copy of the P-1 through MS-70 chart. The shared numbers live on the glossary.
See graded photos. The photos that show what VF looks like live at PCGS. We do not host their plates. NGC Coin Explorer is another look if you want a second set. Guide values on this page came from the NGC Price Guide.
What each named grade looks like on this design.
Poor
Poor
A silver half you can still name if you already know the type.
- LIBERTY in the headband is gone.
- The eagle’s breast is a lump.
- the date may be a shadow. Shine does not raise this.
AG
About Good
You might read a digit. The high points are already slick.
- LIBERTY in the headband is worn to a blank patch.
- The eagle’s breast is not a conversation yet.
- If you cannot read the date without hoping, stay here.
Good
Good
The date is readable. The design is still mostly an outline.
- LIBERTY in the headband is flat. The portrait is a head, not a face.
- The eagle’s breast is outlined.
- Micro O is a variety, not a grade.
VG
Very Good
The date is clear. A little life returns away from the high points.
- Some leftover detail sits next to liberty in the headband.
- The eagle’s breast starts to hint at itself.
- Do not clean the date to “see it better.”
Fine
Fine
You can follow the design. The high points are outlined, not sharp.
- LIBERTY in the headband is outlined and tired.
- The eagle’s breast shows leftover lines, not a full coat.
- the date should be clear.
VF
Very Fine
The design is doing real work. The high points still decide.
- Leftover detail sits in liberty in the headband.
- The eagle’s breast has leftover lines. The center is still the worn spot.
- Micro O is a variety, not a grade.
EF
Extremely Fine
Most of the coin looks sharp. The high points tell on it.
- Light wear on liberty in the headband and the eagle’s breast.
- Those spots go first. A pretty tone does not hide a flat high point.
- Micro O is a variety, not a grade.
AU
About Uncirculated
Almost no wear — and “almost” lives on the same high points.
- A trace of rub on liberty in the headband.
- Luster may still sit in the fields. Rub is still rub.
- Micro O is a variety, not a grade.
Basal MS
Mint State
No wear. The fight is marks and luster, not how white the coin looks.
- No rub on liberty in the headband or the eagle’s breast.
- Marks and luster decide how this mint-state coin lives.
- Micro O is a variety, not a grade.
Choice
Choice Mint State
Still no wear. Cleaner fields than basal mint state.
- Same no-wear rule on liberty in the headband.
- Fewer marks in the fields. Luster is more intact.
- Micro O is a variety, not a grade.
Gem
Gem Mint State
A clean example of the type. Still mint state, still not a story.
- No wear on liberty in the headband or the eagle’s breast.
- Marks and luster, not a romance about a date.
- A slab is an opinion in plastic. The glossary has the numbers.
Proof Barber halves exist for the run. This page does not invent a PR price grid — NGC did not print one in the 2026-08-23 sheet used here. The proof numbers live on the glossary.
Copper color designations (BN, RB, RD) do not apply here. Those belong on copper coins. See the Lincoln Wheat cent and the glossary.
Overview
A Barber half is a United States half dollar struck on Charles E. Barber’s design from 1892 through 1915. Collectors mean those 90 percent silver coins. People like them because the headband is easy to show someone across a table. They are also easy to ruin. A wiped coin looks “better” to a seller and worse to everyone else.
This page is a series article, not a shop listing.
History
The series starts in 1892 with the dime and the quarter. It ends in 1915. Walking Liberty begins in 1916. This page will not invent a 1916 Barber half.
This page will not invent a shop list or a melt story to fill the years between.
Design
Obverse: Liberty facing right with a cap and headband, “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and the date. Reverse: a heraldic eagle, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” and “HALF DOLLAR.” Look at the headband letters, the cheek, and the eagle’s breast. Those spots go flat first.
People Also Ask
What years are Barber halves?
Circulation Barber halves were struck from 1892 through 1915. Walking Liberty begins in 1916.
How much is a Barber half worth?
It depends on the date, the mint mark, and the grade. The G, VF, and MS-63 columns in the mintage chart are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer. Melt is a different conversation. A dealer looking at the actual coin will beat a guide number.
Is a Barber half 90 percent silver?
Yes. Circulation Barber halves are 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. That is composition, not a value quote.
What is the key date Barber half?
This page does not invent a CoinFacts key list. NGC Coin Explorer is the catalog used for this pass. Years NGC left blank stay off the chart.
What is a Micro O Barber half?
1892-O Micro O is a named mint-mark variety. It sits under 1892-O on this chart. It is not an extra invented count.
Collector Considerations
Buy the coin, not the story. A common late date in a high grade can cost more than a worn early New Orleans date someone called “rare” from memory.
If you inherited a box, do not scrub the date. The coin dealer directory starts in Ohio.
For the matching dime, read the Barber dime. For the matching quarter, read the Barber quarter. For the half that follows, read the Walking Liberty half.
A Final Word
Barber halves reward people who slow down. Read the date. Read the mint mark. Look at LIBERTY in the headband. Leave the polish under the sink.
When you want the next half on this site, the Walking Liberty half is already here.