1913-S Barber Dime

The story of the 1913-S

Production at San Francisco fell off a cliff in 1913. Only 510,000 were made, against 3.4 million the year before. That drop is why the 1913-S is the one people look for. In 1914 the figure was 2.1 million.

The other mint made far more that year: 1913 alone came to 20 million, roughly 39 for every 1913-S. If you're checking a pile of 1913 coins, the S is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1896-S (575,056) and the 1895-O (440,000).

Only the 1894-S has a lower mintage among San Francisco's 25 Barber Dimes. No Barber Dime of the 1910s had a smaller run.

More on the 1913-S

San Francisco struck just 510,000 dimes in 1913, the lowest twentieth century Barber dime mintage. Philadelphia made 19,760,000 the same year and Denver none, so the S version is the only scarce coin of 1913 and one of the last semi-keys of the series.

Many 1913-S dimes circulated for decades and survive in low grades. Check the S under magnification for a clean outline and no seam where it meets the field, since a mint mark added to a common 1913 Philadelphia coin is the most likely alteration. Grade from LIBERTY on the headband: if all seven letters are clear, the coin is Fine or better. Even a well-worn 1913-S with a readable date carries a collector premium. Uncirculated examples are scarce.

The coin also marks a turning point. After 1913 the only scarce Barber dime still to come was the 1915-S, with 960,000 struck. If you are assembling a set by mint, the 1913-S is usually one of the last San Francisco coins to be filled. It is worth waiting for one with a clear date, a sharp S and honest, even wear.

The 1913-S and the last Barber dimes (1913 to 1916)

Philadelphia kept production high in the final years, striking 19,760,000 in 1913, 17,360,230 in 1914 and 18,490,000 in 1916, with a dip to 5,620,000 in 1915. Denver struck Barber dimes only in 1914, a run of 11,908,000. It made none in 1913, 1915 or 1916. Across the four years the mints made 82,528,230 Barber dimes.

San Francisco's output varied a great deal. The 1913-S, with 510,000 struck, is the last semi-key of the series and the lowest mintage of any twentieth century Barber dime. The 1915-S, at 960,000, is also scarce. In 1914 and 1916 San Francisco struck 2,100,000 and 5,820,000, so those dates are easy to find. Both final dates are common because Philadelphia and San Francisco struck millions of Barber dimes before the new design was ready.

Proof production ended with very small runs: 425 in 1914 and 450 in 1915, the lowest proof mintages of the series, with no proofs in 1916. Weinman's Mercury dime replaced the Barber design late in 1916, which makes the 1916 and 1916-S the last Barber dimes. Many coins from these years show heavy wear from decades of use. Check that the date and mint mark are clear and that the headband still shows LIBERTY, since a full, sharp LIBERTY on a late date marks a coin of Fine or better and lifts it well above the many worn survivors.

Elsewhere in US coinage in 1913

James Earle Fraser's Buffalo nickel replaced the Liberty Head nickel. The bison was redrawn standing on flat ground partway through the year because the raised mound wore away too quickly.