1914 Barber Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 124,610 made
- Mintage
- 124,610 (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 a 1914 Barber Half Dollar worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1914 is valuable in any condition, even well worn. That's exactly why fakes and altered coins turn up so often.
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 1914 Barber Half Dollar rare?
- Yes. Only 124,610 were made, the lowest of any regular Barber Half Dollar.
- Is the 1914 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 1914 Barber Half Dollar?
- On the reverse, below the eagle's tail. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1914 are scarcer?
- None. Within five years either side, no Philadelphia issue had a smaller mintage than the 1914.
- How many 1914 Barber Half Dollar coins were made?
- 124,610.
What to check on your 1914
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- 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. Low-mintage dates attract altered and counterfeit coins. Check that the date have not been tooled or added, or buy one already certified by PCGS or NGC.
The story of the 1914
Output at Philadelphia slipped to 124,610 in 1914, from 188,624 the year before. In 1915 the figure was 138,450.
The other mint made far more that year: 1914-S alone came to 992,000, roughly 8 for every 1914. If you're checking a pile of 1914 coins, the mint mark is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1915 (138,450) and the 1913 (188,624).
Of the 24 Barber Half Dollars Philadelphia struck between 1892 and 1915, this is the scarcest. No Barber Half Dollar of the 1910s had a smaller run.
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 1914
Denver's small cent output in 1914 created one of the great Lincoln cent key dates, the 1914-D.
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 | 1914 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 124,610 (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 1914 Barber Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 Barber Half Dollar | 124,610 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1914-S Barber Half Dollar | 992,000 | 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.