1892 Barber Dime
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 12,120,000 made
- Mintage
- 12,120,000
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 2.5 g
- Diameter
- 17.9 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1892 Barber Dime worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.0723 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1892 Barber Dime rare?
- Not by date: 12 million were struck. A sharp uncirculated coin or a known variety is what makes one special.
- Is the 1892 Barber Dime silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1892 Barber Dime?
- On the reverse, below the bow of the wreath. Philadelphia dimes have no mint mark.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1892 are scarcer?
- The 1895 at 690,000, the 1894 at 1,330,000, the 1896 at 2,000,000, plus 2 more. So the 1892 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1892 Barber Dime coins were made?
- 12,120,000.
What to check on your 1892
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1892 Barber Dime Proof (1,245 made) is the one to compare with.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. LIBERTY on the headband is the benchmark: all seven letters must be clear for Fine and above.
Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.
The story of the 1892
1892 was the first year of the Barber Dime. Philadelphia struck 12,120,000 of them. In 1893 the figure was 3.3 million.
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1892-S (990,710) and 1892-O (3.8 million).
Across Philadelphia's 25 Barber Dime issues, the hardest to find is the 1895 with 690,000 made. The 1892 is on the scarcer side of the middle. Within the 1890s it's 22nd smallest of 24, between the 1897 (11 million) and the 1898 (16 million).
More on the 1892
Philadelphia struck 12,120,000 dimes in 1892, the first year of Barber's design. New Orleans added 3,841,700 and San Francisco 990,710. The first-year Philadelphia coin is the most common of the three and the easiest way to own an example of the original 1892 strike.
Many collectors start a Barber dime set with an 1892 because it is plentiful in worn grades and still has the appeal of a first-year issue. Proofs, 1,245 of them, were also struck and are listed separately. A worn 1892 trades at metal value or a small premium. Better coins bring more, especially uncirculated pieces with original luster. Check LIBERTY on the headband and the high points of the wreath. Avoid coins that have been cleaned to a bright shine.
The 1892 Philadelphia coin is also a useful reference. Because it is easy to find in many grades, it lets you learn how a Barber dime wears: the headband and LIBERTY go first, then the hair and the leaves on the wreath. Finally the rims merge into the legend.
A new design at three mints (1892 to 1893)
Charles E. Barber's Liberty head replaced the Seated Liberty dime in 1892, after an open design competition in 1891 failed to produce anything the Mint would accept. The Chief Engraver's portrait went on the quarter and half dollar the same year. Philadelphia, New Orleans and San Francisco all struck dimes from the start, with the mint mark placed below the bow of the wreath on the reverse.
Philadelphia's 12,120,000 dimes of 1892 make it the most common date of the early years and it is easy to find in worn grades. New Orleans added 3,841,700. San Francisco struck only 990,710 that year, so the 1892-S is scarce in all grades and a good first target for anyone building a set. In 1893 output fell everywhere: Philadelphia made 3,340,000, New Orleans 1,760,000 and San Francisco 2,491,401. Across the two years the three mints struck 24,543,811 Barber dimes.
Look closely at the date on a Philadelphia 1893. Some were struck from a die on which the final 3 was punched over a 2. On this 1893/2 overdate the base of the 2 shows as a line inside the lower loop of the 3. The variety is subtle and mainly interests variety specialists, but it carries a collector premium when confirmed. For grading any coin of these years, check LIBERTY on the headband: if all seven letters are clear, the coin grades Fine or better.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1892
Charles Barber's new designs replaced the Liberty Seated dime, quarter and half dollar, which had been in use since the late 1830s.
How to recognize it
Barber's Liberty faces right, her hair gathered under a Phrygian cap and crowned with a laurel wreath. A narrow band above her forehead carries the word LIBERTY in tiny letters and that band is the first detail to wear away. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA circles the portrait with the date below. Unlike the Barber quarter and half dollar, the dime has no stars and no IN GOD WE TRUST, because there was simply no room for the motto. The reverse was carried over from the last Seated Liberty dimes: a wreath of corn, wheat, maple and oak leaves, tied with a bow at the bottom, around the words ONE DIME. Branch mint coins show an O, S or D just below the bow. The coin is 17.9 mm across, weighs 2.5 grams and has a reeded edge.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Barber Dime (1892–1916) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1892 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 12,120,000 |
| Face value | 10¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 2.5 grams |
| Diameter | 17.9 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.0723 troy oz (2.250 g) |
| Designer | Charles E. Barber |
Other 1892 Barber Dime issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1892 Barber Dime | 12,120,000 | Circulation strike | 0.0723 oz |
| 1892 Barber Dime Proof | 1,245 | Proof | 0.0723 oz |
| 1892-S Barber Dime | 990,710 | Circulation strike | 0.0723 oz |
| 1892-O Barber Dime | 3,841,700 | Circulation strike | 0.0723 oz |
Mintage: US Mint records as published in standard references, each figure checked against at least two independent sources. How we build these pages.