1896 US Coins: Values & Mintages

How many coins were made in 1896

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 79,521,156 coins dated 1896 across 14 issues. That is 22% more than in 1895 (65,163,343). In 1897 the figure rose to 110,565,164.

By mint: Philadelphia 64,699,113 (81%, up from 55,298,576), New Orleans 7,918,000 (10%, up from 5,472,000) and San Francisco 6,904,043 (8.7%, up from 4,392,767).

Those coins held about 17,697,266 troy ounces of pure silver.

1896 coins by denomination

Cents: 39,055,431 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Indian Head Cent, up 1.9% on 1895.

Nickels: 8,842,920 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Liberty Head "V" Nickel, down 11% on 1895.

Dimes: 3,185,056 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Barber Dime, up 42% on 1895. The scarcest is the 1896-S (575,056) and the most plentiful the 1896 (2,000,000).

Quarters: 5,546,039 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Barber Quarter, down 39% on 1895. The scarcest is the 1896-S (188,039) and the most plentiful the 1896 (3,874,000).

Half Dollars: 3,015,710 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Barber Half Dollar, down 36% on 1895. The scarcest is the 1896-O (924,000) and the most plentiful the 1896-S (1,140,948).

Dollar Coins: 19,876,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Morgan Silver Dollar, up 2206% on 1895. The scarcest is the 1896-O (4,900,000) and the most plentiful the 1896 (9,976,000).

Every 1896 circulation issue at a glance

• 1896-S Barber Quarter: 188,039 struck, 3rd lowest of 74 in the series, down from 1,764,681 in 1895.
• 1896-S Barber Dime: 575,056 struck, 4th lowest of 75 in the series, down from 1,120,000 in 1895.
• 1896-O Barber Dime: 610,000 struck, 6th lowest of 75 in the series, up from 440,000 in 1895.
• 1896-O Barber Half Dollar: 924,000 struck, 16th lowest of 73 in the series, down from 1,766,000 in 1895.
• 1896 Barber Half Dollar: 950,762 struck, 20th lowest of 73 in the series, down from 1,835,218 in 1895.
• 1896-S Barber Half Dollar: 1,140,948 struck, 26th lowest of 73 in the series, similar to 1895.
• 1896-O Barber Quarter: 1,484,000 struck, 23rd lowest of 74 in the series, down from 2,816,000 in 1895.
• 1896 Barber Dime: 2,000,000 struck, 24th lowest of 75 in the series, up from 690,000 in 1895.
• 1896 Barber Quarter: 3,874,000 struck, more than 68% of the series' 74 issues, similar to 1895.
• 1896-O Morgan Silver Dollar: 4,900,000 struck, 48th lowest of 96 in the series, up from 450,000 in 1895.
• 1896-S Morgan Silver Dollar: 5,000,000 struck, more than 51% of the series' 96 issues, up from 400,000 in 1895.
• 1896 Liberty Head "V" Nickel: 8,842,920 struck, 8th lowest of 34 in the series, similar to 1895.

The 2 more plentiful issues are listed in the tables below.

Indian Head Cent: The 1890s and the 1894 doubled date

Cent demand in the 1890s tracked the economy. Production was about 47 million in 1891 and 1893, but the depression that followed the Panic of 1893 cut 1894 output to 16.7 million, the lowest figure in the decade. The 1894 also has a well known repunched date that shows a clear second set of digits, a favorite variety for the period.

By 1897 output reached 50 million and stayed near that level as the economy recovered. Dies from this decade are generally well made. The Mint's strikes are sharper than in the 1870s, so complete diamonds on the ribbon and full feather tips are common. Coins from these years are among the easiest Indian cents to find in uncirculated condition, though fully red examples remain scarce because bronze tones over time.

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Liberty Head "V" Nickel: Steady circulation years

Production recovered in 1887 to more than 15 million and stayed between roughly 10 and 17 million through most of the next several years. The depression that followed the Panic of 1893 cut 1894 output to 5.4 million, making it a scarcer date for the decade. By 1899 production rose above 26 million as the economy grew again.

These dates form the middle of the series and are usually found worn to Good or Very Good, since Liberty Head nickels stayed in circulation for decades. Wear first shows on the letters of LIBERTY on the coronet and on the hair above the forehead, so collectors use those spots to grade them. Proofs were made every year, so some lower grade coins are worn proofs. Strikes vary from year to year, with weak corn ears at the left of the wreath a common flaw.

Collectors judge Liberty nickels of these years by the coronet. LIBERTY should be readable in every letter on a Fine coin and in better grades the hair curls above the forehead keep their detail. Proofs were struck every year for collectors and survive in good numbers, so a coin with mirror-like fields is worth checking against a proof before you assume it is a circulation strike.

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Barber Quarter: The San Francisco keys

San Francisco's Barber quarter mintages fell sharply in these years. The 1896-S (188,039) and the 1901-S (72,664) are the two keys of the period. The 1901-S is the rarest regular Barber quarter in any grade. The 1897-S and 1899-S, with 542,229 and 708,000 struck, are also scarce in better condition.

Philadelphia, by contrast, struck between 8 and 12.6 million a year from 1897 to 1901, so Philadelphia quarters of these dates are common. Altered mint marks are a concern for the 1896-S and 1901-S, since an S can be added to a common Philadelphia coin. Check the mint mark under magnification for seams or tool marks. On worn coins the headband goes smooth, so a complete LIBERTY marks a coin of Fine or better.

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Barber Half Dollar: Barber halves debut at three mints

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.

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Morgan Silver Dollar: Low Philadelphia mintages and the Treasury releases

With the Sherman Act repealed in 1893, the Mint coined silver it had already bought. Philadelphia struck only 110,000 in 1894. For 1895 only about 880 proofs are confirmed, since the business strikes reported for that year have never been found. That makes the 1895 the most famous Morgan date. Output rose again from 1896, with New Orleans passing 12 million in 1899, 1900 and 1901.

New Orleans coins such as the 1898-O, 1903-O and 1904-O were long thought rare until Treasury vault releases in 1962 to 1964 put sealed bags into collectors' hands. Philadelphia's 1899 run of 330,000 and the 1895-O and 1895-S remain scarce. The 1901 from Philadelphia is common worn but rare uncirculated. Coinage ended in 1904 when the bullion bought under the Sherman Act ran out.

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Barber Dime: Hard times and the rarest dimes

Demand for new coins was weak during the depression of the mid-1890s and Barber dime mintages show it. Philadelphia struck 1,330,000 in 1894, 690,000 in 1895 and 2,000,000 in 1896 before rebounding to 10,868,533 in 1897. New Orleans never reached a million in these four years, with 720,000 in 1894, 440,000 in 1895, 610,000 in 1896 and 666,000 in 1897. San Francisco made 1,120,000 in 1895 and 1,342,844 in 1897, so its coins of those years are scarce but not keys.

This is where the rarities of the series cluster. The 1895-O, with 440,000 struck, is the key among regular business strikes and is usually found heavily worn. The 1895 is the scarcest Philadelphia date. The 1894-O, 1896-O, 1896-S (575,056) and 1897-O are semi-keys. Above them all sits the 1894-S, of which San Francisco struck just 24 pieces in proof format for reasons that have never been fully explained. Only about ten are believed to survive.

Scarce dates attract altered and counterfeit coins, so a key date from these years deserves a slow, careful look. Check the mint mark under magnification for a clean outline, the right size and no seam where it meets the field. Then compare the date digits with each other for matching style and spacing. Worn examples of the key dates still carry a collector premium, while the Philadelphia 1897 is a common date that trades close to metal value in low grades.

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