1901-S Barber Dime

The story of the 1901-S

Production at San Francisco fell off a cliff in 1901. Only 593,022 were made, against 5.2 million the year before. That drop is why the 1901-S is the one people look for. The next year it made 2.1 million (1902-S).

The other mints made far more that year: 1901 alone came to 19 million, roughly 32 for every 1901-S. If you're checking a pile of 1901 coins, the S is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1896-O (610,000) and the 1896-S (575,056).

San Francisco struck the Barber Dime in 25 issues between 1892 and 1916. By mintage this one lands in the scarcer half, while the key for that mint is the 1894-S (24). No Barber Dime of the 1900s had a smaller run.

More on the 1901-S

San Francisco struck 593,022 dimes in 1901, a sharp drop from its 5,168,270 in 1900. Philadelphia made 18,859,665 that year and New Orleans 5,620,000, so the S coin stands out as the scarce one of a very common year. It was the first Barber dime of the twentieth century with real scarcity.

Most survivors are well worn. The 1901-S is especially elusive in uncirculated condition. Look for the S below the bow and a date with a clear 1 at the end. Worn examples carry a collector premium, while better grades command much more. Since a mint mark can be added to one of the millions of 1901 Philadelphia dimes, check the S under magnification for any seam or tooling. Consider certification for any coin above Very Good. The 1901-S is also a good test of patience: it is far scarcer than its year suggests, so it often turns up mixed in with common Philadelphia coins from the same year. A careful look at every 1901 in a group can pay off.

Big Philadelphia runs and two San Francisco semi-keys (1898 to 1903)

Prosperity returned at the end of the decade. Philadelphia struck between 16,320,000 and 21,380,000 dimes every year from 1898 to 1903 and New Orleans reached 8,180,000 in 1903. Across the six years the three mints made 150,614,257 Barber dimes, so most dates from this stretch are easy to find in worn condition and make good, inexpensive fillers for an album. Proofs were struck every year in small numbers, between 735 and 912 a year in this stretch. They are listed on their own pages.

San Francisco is the exception. Its output swung from 5,168,270 in 1900 down to 593,022 in 1901 and 613,300 in 1903. Those two coins are the semi-keys of the period. The 1901-S was the first twentieth century Barber dime of real scarcity. The 1903-S is unusually scarce for a coin struck so late. Both are hard to find in uncirculated condition and carry a collector premium in any grade.

New Orleans dimes of these years, from 2,010,000 in 1900 up to 8,180,000 in 1903, tend to be softly struck, with weak detail in the wreath and on Liberty's hair. Don't mistake a weak strike for wear. Judge the grade from LIBERTY on the headband and the high points of the wreath. Remember that many coins of the era survive only in low grades because they circulated for decades before anyone thought to save them.