1893-S Barber Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 740,000 made
- Mintage
- 740,000
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 12.5 g
- Diameter
- 30.6 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 Half Dollar worth?
It's scarcer than a typical date, so even circulated examples sell above face and above their metal value. The best uncirculated coins are where the money is.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1893-S Barber Half Dollar rare?
- Somewhat. 740,000 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1893-S Barber Half Dollar silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1893 Barber Half Dollar?
- On the reverse, below the eagle's tail. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1893 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no San Francisco issue had a smaller mintage than the 1893-S.
- How many 1893-S Barber Half Dollar coins were made?
- 740,000.
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 (1.4 million made).
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- 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. A full LIBERTY on the headband is the key to Very Fine and better.
Never clean it. Collectors pay strong premiums for original surfaces and natural toning on a date like this. A cleaned coin can lose half its value or more.
The story of the 1893-S
Output at San Francisco slipped to 740,000 in 1893, from 1 million the year before. In 1894 the figure was 4 million.
1893-O came to 1.4 million and 1893 came to 1.8 million, so neither mint's 1893 coin is much scarcer than the other. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1911-D (695,080) and the 1905 (662,727).
Only the 1904-S and the 1913-S have a lower mintage among San Francisco's 24 Barber Half Dollars. Within the 1890s it's 3rd smallest of 24, between the 1897-O (632,000) and the 1898-O (874,000).
Barber halves debut at three mints (1892 to 1896)
Charles Barber's half dollar matched his dime and quarter of 1892, with Liberty's head on the obverse and a heraldic eagle on the reverse. Philadelphia, New Orleans and San Francisco all struck it from the start. The 1892-O includes the rare Micro O variety, with a mint mark much smaller than normal, apparently from a punch made for a smaller denomination.
Mintages in these years ran from 390,000 for the 1892-O to more than 4 million for the 1894-S. The 1892-O and 1893-S, at 740,000, are scarce in mint state. Barber halves wore quickly at the high points of the cap and hair. Most survivors from these years show the LIBERTY headband partly or wholly worn away. First-year 1892 Philadelphia coins were saved in some numbers and are the easiest of the period in high grade.
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
Charles Barber's Liberty faces right wearing a cap, a laurel wreath and a headband inscribed LIBERTY, with IN GOD WE TRUST above and 13 stars around. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle with a shield, arrows and an olive branch and the words HALF DOLLAR below. The mint mark sits below the eagle's tail.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Barber Half Dollar (1892–1915) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1893 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 740,000 |
| Face value | 50¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 12.5 grams |
| Diameter | 30.6 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.3617 troy oz (11.250 g) |
| Designer | Charles E. Barber |
Other 1893 Barber Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1893 Barber Half Dollar | 1,826,792 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1893-S Barber Half Dollar | 740,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1893-O Barber Half Dollar | 1,389,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
Mintage: United States half dollar mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.