1913-S Barber Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 604,000 made
- Mintage
- 604,000
- 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 1913-S Barber Half Dollar worth?
Collectors pay a real premium for this date, worn or not, because far fewer were made than usual. Uncirculated pieces go much higher.
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 1913-S Barber Half Dollar rare?
- Somewhat. 604,000 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1913-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 1913 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 1913 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no San Francisco issue had a smaller mintage than the 1913-S.
- How many 1913-S Barber Half Dollar coins were made?
- 604,000.
What to check on your 1913-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 1913 (188,624 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.
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 1913-S
San Francisco made 604,000 in 1913, down from 1.4 million in 1912. The next year it made 992,000 (1914-S).
1913 came to 188,624 and 1913-D came to 534,000, so neither mint's 1913 coin is much scarcer than the other. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1897-O (632,000) and the 1904-S (553,038).
Only the 1904-S has a lower mintage among San Francisco's 24 Barber Half Dollars. Within the 1910s it's 6th smallest of 16, between the 1913-D (534,000) and the 1911-D (695,080).
Low Philadelphia mintages and the series end (1910 to 1915)
Philadelphia struck only 418,551 halves in 1910 and even fewer from 1913 to 1915: 188,624, 124,610 and 138,450. These are the lowest Philadelphia mintages of the series and they carry a premium even in worn grades.
Denver and San Francisco carried most of the output. The 1913-D at 534,000 and the 1911-D at 695,080 are the lowest branch issues of the period. The final coins were struck in 1915 at Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco before the Walking Liberty half replaced Barber's design in 1916. Proofs of these years were made in small numbers. They survive in nice condition more often than business strikes do. Examine the area below the eagle's tail on any 1913, 1914 or 1915 offered as a Philadelphia coin, since a removed mint mark leaves tooling marks.
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.
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 | 1913 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 604,000 |
| 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 1913 Barber Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 Barber Half Dollar | 188,624 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1913-D Barber Half Dollar | 534,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1913-S Barber Half Dollar | 604,000 | 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.