1905-S Barber Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 2,494,000 made
- Mintage
- 2,494,000
- 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 a 1905-S 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 1905-S 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 1905-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 a 1905 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 1905 are scarcer?
- The 1904-S at 553,038, the 1901-S at 847,044, the 1907-S at 1,250,000, plus 6 more. So the 1905-S is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1905-S Barber Half Dollar coins were made?
- 2,494,000.
What to check on your 1905-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 1905-O (505,000 made).
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- 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 1905-S
San Francisco ramped up hard in 1905: 2,494,000 coins, about 4.5 times the 1904 run. In 1906 the figure was 1.7 million.
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1905-O (505,000) and 1905 (662,727).
Across San Francisco's 24 Barber Half Dollar issues, the hardest to find is the 1904-S with 553,038 made. The 1905-S is one of the easier ones. Within the 1900s it's 19th smallest of 33, between the 1906-O (2.4 million) and the 1902-O (2.5 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 | 1905 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 2,494,000 |
| 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 1905 Barber Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 Barber Half Dollar | 662,727 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1905-S Barber Half Dollar | 2,494,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1905-O Barber Half Dollar | 505,000 | 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.