1897 Barber Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 2,480,731 made
- Mintage
- 2,480,731 (includes proofs)
- 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 1897 Barber Half Dollar worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.3617 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 1897 Barber Half Dollar rare?
- Not by date: 2.5 million were struck. A sharp uncirculated coin or a known variety is what makes one special.
- Is the 1897 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 1897 Barber Half Dollar?
- On the reverse, below the eagle's tail. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1897 are scarcer?
- The 1892 at 935,245, the 1896 at 950,762, the 1894 at 1,148,972, plus 2 more. So the 1897 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1897 Barber Half Dollar coins were made?
- 2,480,731.
What to check on your 1897
- 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.
- 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.
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 1897
Philadelphia made 2,480,731 in 1897, up from 950,762 in 1896. In 1898 the figure was 3 million.
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1897-O (632,000) and 1897-S (933,900).
Across Philadelphia's 24 Barber Half Dollar issues, the hardest to find is the 1914 with 124,610 made. The 1897 is one of the easier ones. Within the 1890s it's 21st smallest of 24, between the 1898-S (2.4 million) and the 1898 (3 million).
Key dates from New Orleans and San Francisco (1897 to 1905)
The 1897-O (632,000) and 1897-S (933,900) are the keys of the series and are scarce in every grade. Later scarce dates include the 1901-S (847,044), the 1904-S (553,038) and the 1905-O (505,000). Philadelphia's own 1905 mintage of 662,727 was also low, though Philadelphia struck far more in most other years of the period.
Philadelphia mintages otherwise rose, reaching 5,538,846 in 1899, so Philadelphia halves of the late 1890s are common in worn grades. Because the key dates are branch mint coins, altered or added mint marks are a known problem. Check the O or S below the eagle under magnification. When judging grade, look for a complete LIBERTY on the headband and clear feathers on the eagle's wings. Many key date survivors are worn to Good, with the rims touching the legends.
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 | 1897 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 2,480,731 (includes proofs) |
| 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 1897 Barber Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 Barber Half Dollar | 2,480,731 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1897-S Barber Half Dollar | 933,900 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1897-O Barber Half Dollar | 632,000 | 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.