1897 US Coins: Values & Mintages

How many coins were made in 1897

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 110,565,164 coins dated 1897 across 14 issues. That is 39% more than in 1896 (79,521,156). In 1898 the figure rose to 117,109,020.

It was the biggest year since 1891.

By mint: Philadelphia 95,204,391 (86%, up from 64,699,113), San Francisco 8,643,973 (7.8%, up from 6,904,043) and New Orleans 6,716,800 (6.1%, down from 7,918,000).

Those coins held about 14,006,138 troy ounces of pure silver.

1897 coins by denomination

Cents: 50,464,392 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Indian Head Cent, up 29% on 1896.

Nickels: 20,428,735 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Liberty Head "V" Nickel, up 131% on 1896.

Dimes: 12,877,377 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Barber Dime, up 304% on 1896. The scarcest is the 1897-O (666,000) and the most plentiful the 1897 (10,868,533).

Quarters: 10,097,029 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Barber Quarter, up 82% on 1896. The scarcest is the 1897-S (542,229) and the most plentiful the 1897 (8,140,000).

Half Dollars: 4,046,631 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Barber Half Dollar, up 34% on 1896. The scarcest is the 1897-O (632,000) and the most plentiful the 1897 (2,480,731).

Dollar Coins: 12,651,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Morgan Silver Dollar, down 36% on 1896. The scarcest is the 1897 (2,822,000) and the most plentiful the 1897-S (5,825,000).

Every 1897 circulation issue at a glance

• 1897-S Barber Quarter: 542,229 struck, 6th lowest of 74 in the series, up from 188,039 in 1896.
• 1897-O Barber Half Dollar: 632,000 struck, 10th lowest of 73 in the series, down from 924,000 in 1896.
• 1897-O Barber Dime: 666,000 struck, 8th lowest of 75 in the series, similar to 1896.
• 1897-S Barber Half Dollar: 933,900 struck, 18th lowest of 73 in the series, similar to 1896.
• 1897-S Barber Dime: 1,342,844 struck, 19th lowest of 75 in the series, up from 575,056 in 1896.
• 1897-O Barber Quarter: 1,414,800 struck, 20th lowest of 74 in the series, similar to 1896.
• 1897 Barber Half Dollar: 2,480,731 struck, more than 75% of the series' 73 issues, up from 950,762 in 1896.
• 1897 Morgan Silver Dollar: 2,822,000 struck, 38th lowest of 96 in the series, down from 9,976,000 in 1896.
• 1897-O Morgan Silver Dollar: 4,004,000 struck, 43rd lowest of 96 in the series, similar to 1896.
• 1897-S Morgan Silver Dollar: 5,825,000 struck, more than 55% of the series' 96 issues, similar to 1896.
• 1897 Barber Quarter: 8,140,000 struck, more than 88% of the series' 74 issues, up from 3,874,000 in 1896.
• 1897 Barber Dime: 10,868,533 struck, more than 73% of the series' 75 issues, up from 2,000,000 in 1896.

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: Key dates from New Orleans and San Francisco

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.

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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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