1893-S Barber Dime
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 2,491,401 made
- Mintage
- 2,491,401
- 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 1893-S 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 1893-S Barber Dime rare?
- No. 2.5 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1893-S 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 1893 Barber Dime?
- On the reverse, below the bow of the wreath. Philadelphia dimes have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1893 are scarcer?
- The 1894-S at 24, the 1896-S at 575,056, the 1892-S at 990,710, plus 3 more. So the 1893-S is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1893-S Barber Dime coins were made?
- 2,491,401.
What to check on your 1893-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1893-O (1.8 million made).
- 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 1893 Barber Dime Proof (792 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 1893-S
Output at San Francisco climbed to 2,491,401 in 1893, from 990,710 the year before. The next year it made 24 (1894-S).
1893-O came to 1.8 million and 1893 came to 3.3 million, so neither mint's 1893 coin is much scarcer than the other.
San Francisco struck the Barber Dime in 25 issues between 1892 and 1916. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1894-S (24). Within the 1890s it's 17th smallest of 24, between the 1898-O (2.1 million) and the 1899-O (2.6 million).
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 1893
The Carson City Mint struck its last coins in 1893. A financial panic that year led to the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act.
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 | 1893 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 2,491,401 |
| 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 1893 Barber Dime issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1893 Barber Dime | 3,340,000 | Circulation strike | 0.0723 oz |
| 1893 Barber Dime Proof | 792 | Proof | 0.0723 oz |
| 1893-S Barber Dime | 2,491,401 | Circulation strike | 0.0723 oz |
| 1893-O Barber Dime | 1,760,000 | 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.