Dime · 1892–1916

Barber Dime

Liberty faces right wearing a laurel wreath and a cap with a headband reading LIBERTY, with the date below. The words ONE DIME sit inside a wreath of corn, wheat, maple, and oak.

Designer

Charles E. Barber

Diameter

17.91 mm

Edge

Reeded

Mint mark

Reverse (back), below the bow of the wreath

Composition

1892–1916: 90% silver, 10% copper · 2.5 g Silver

Did you know? Mint engraver Charles Barber got the job of designing this coin after a public design contest flopped so badly that the Mint rejected every single entry.

Beginner tip: Flip the coin over and check under the wreath's bow for a mint mark, because an O or S on the right date can turn a worn dime into a three-figure coin.

Key dates to look for

1894-S Barber Dime

$1,000,000+ in any condition

Only 24 struck as a special San Francisco issue; about 9 survive, making it one of the most famous US coins

1895-O Barber Dime

$350+ even heavily worn

Lowest regular mintage of the series at 440,000 — the key date collectors actually hunt for

1896-S Barber Dime

$75+ in Good condition

Low mintage semi-key from San Francisco

1901-S Barber Dime

$80+ in Good condition

Tough semi-key with under 600,000 struck

1913-S Barber Dime

$30+ in Good condition

Just 510,000 minted — a sleeper date beginners often overlook

Valuable varieties & errors

1893/2 Overdate

rare

$150 – $2,500+

The Mint punched an 1893 date over a die originally dated 1892 rather than waste the die. Traces of the underlying 2 remain visible beneath the 3 in the date.

How to check: With a loupe, look closely at the 3 in the date. On the overdate you can see extra curved metal inside and below the 3 where the old 2 shows through. The area around the date may also look slightly doubled or crowded.

1905-O Micro O

rare

$40 – $1,500+

Some 1905 New Orleans dimes were struck with a tiny O mint mark punch intended for a smaller-format die. The undersized mark is obvious once you compare it against a normal 1905-O.

How to check: Find the O mint mark under the wreath bow on the reverse. On the Micro O it is noticeably smaller than the letters around it — roughly half the size of a normal O mint mark. Comparing side by side with a regular 1905-O photo makes it unmistakable.

Error types found on this series

Doubled Die (Obverse)

The front design shows a second, shifted image because the die itself was made doubled.

Repunched Mint Mark (RPM)

The mint mark was punched into the die more than once, slightly off position, leaving a doubled letter.

Off-Center Strike

The blank wasn't centered when struck, so part of the design is missing and part of the coin is blank.

Clipped Planchet

A bite-shaped piece of the coin is missing because the blank was punched from an already-punched part of the metal strip.

Die Crack

A crack in the die fills with metal during the strike, leaving a thin raised line on the coin.

Lamination Error

A thin layer of the coin's metal peels, flakes, or cracks off because the alloy was poorly mixed.

Real photos where available (credits); others are illustrations.

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