1898 US Coins: Values & Mintages

How many coins were made in 1898

Counting the circulation issues on this page, US mints struck 117,109,020 coins dated 1898 across 14 issues. That is close to the 1897 total of 110,565,164. In 1899 the figure rose to 144,101,781.

It was the biggest year since 1890.

By mint: Philadelphia 98,613,371 (84%, up from 95,204,391), New Orleans 9,312,000 (8%, up from 6,716,800) and San Francisco 9,183,649 (7.8%, up from 8,643,973).

Those coins held about 17,383,794 troy ounces of pure silver.

1898 coins by denomination

Cents: 49,821,284 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Indian Head Cent, down 1.3% on 1897.

Nickels: 12,532,087 struck in 1 circulation issue of the Liberty Head "V" Nickel, down 39% on 1897.

Dimes: 20,152,507 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Barber Dime, up 56% on 1897. The scarcest is the 1898-S (1,702,507) and the most plentiful the 1898 (16,320,000).

Quarters: 13,988,592 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Barber Quarter, up 39% on 1897. The scarcest is the 1898-S (1,020,592) and the most plentiful the 1898 (11,100,000).

Half Dollars: 6,188,550 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Barber Half Dollar, up 53% on 1897. The scarcest is the 1898-O (874,000) and the most plentiful the 1898 (2,956,000).

Dollar Coins: 14,426,000 struck in 3 circulation issues of the Morgan Silver Dollar, up 14% on 1897. The scarcest is the 1898-S (4,102,000) and the most plentiful the 1898 (5,884,000).

Every 1898 circulation issue at a glance

• 1898-O Barber Half Dollar: 874,000 struck, 15th lowest of 73 in the series, up from 632,000 in 1897.
• 1898-S Barber Quarter: 1,020,592 struck, 15th lowest of 74 in the series, up from 542,229 in 1897.
• 1898-S Barber Dime: 1,702,507 struck, 20th lowest of 75 in the series, up from 1,342,844 in 1897.
• 1898-O Barber Quarter: 1,868,000 struck, 30th lowest of 74 in the series, up from 1,414,800 in 1897.
• 1898-O Barber Dime: 2,130,000 struck, 28th lowest of 75 in the series, up from 666,000 in 1897.
• 1898-S Barber Half Dollar: 2,358,550 struck, more than 71% of the series' 73 issues, up from 933,900 in 1897.
• 1898 Barber Half Dollar: 2,956,000 struck, more than 85% of the series' 73 issues, similar to 1897.
• 1898-S Morgan Silver Dollar: 4,102,000 struck, 44th lowest of 96 in the series, down from 5,825,000 in 1897.
• 1898-O Morgan Silver Dollar: 4,440,000 struck, 45th lowest of 96 in the series, similar to 1897.
• 1898 Morgan Silver Dollar: 5,884,000 struck, more than 56% of the series' 96 issues, up from 2,822,000 in 1897.
• 1898 Barber Quarter: 11,100,000 struck, more than 97% of the series' 74 issues, up from 8,140,000 in 1897.
• 1898 Liberty Head "V" Nickel: 12,532,087 struck, 14th lowest of 34 in the series, down from 20,428,735 in 1897.

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: Big Philadelphia runs and two San Francisco semi-keys

Prosperity returned at the end of the decade. Philadelphia struck between 16,320,000 and 21,380,000 dimes every year from 1898 to 1903 and New Orleans reached 8,180,000 in 1903. Across the six years the three mints made 150,614,257 Barber dimes, so most dates from this stretch are easy to find in worn condition and make good, inexpensive fillers for an album. Proofs were struck every year in small numbers, between 735 and 912 a year in this stretch. They are listed on their own pages.

San Francisco is the exception. Its output swung from 5,168,270 in 1900 down to 593,022 in 1901 and 613,300 in 1903. Those two coins are the semi-keys of the period. The 1901-S was the first twentieth century Barber dime of real scarcity. The 1903-S is unusually scarce for a coin struck so late. Both are hard to find in uncirculated condition and carry a collector premium in any grade.

New Orleans dimes of these years, from 2,010,000 in 1900 up to 8,180,000 in 1903, tend to be softly struck, with weak detail in the wreath and on Liberty's hair. Don't mistake a weak strike for wear. Judge the grade from LIBERTY on the headband and the high points of the wreath. Remember that many coins of the era survive only in low grades because they circulated for decades before anyone thought to save them.

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