Barber Half Dollar (1892-1915)

The Barber Half Dollar was the third variety of the coin minted by the US, and featured a design that had never been used before. Straight from the offing, this coin’s design was heralded as being intricate beyond words, yet simple enough that the coin’s faces did not appear to be overcrowded. Minted for less than 25 years, there are naturally fewer of these half dollars on the market than there are of plenty of the other varieties.

For collectors, this coin’s short period of time being produced means that there are only a few remaining on the market today. What’s more, of the few left on the market, only a small portion of them have been preserved in excellent condition. This is something that is only going to become truer as time moves on.

What You Will Pay for a Barber Half Dollar

How much you will be asked to pay for a Barber Half Dollar is completely dependent on a few different factors. Thanks to there being so few of these coins on the market, their inherent scarcity is something that drives the value of these coins up more than other coins of similar age. Even after taking into consideration the scarcity of a certain coin, you cannot forget about the condition. Collectors are very much concerned with the condition of coins they purchase, and it goes without saying that well-preserved pieces almost always carry the highest price tags. The 1898 Barber Half Dollar, for example, sees poorly preserved coins sell for as little as $10, while extremely well-preserved coins sell for 40x that amount.

When it comes down to it, a combination of the type of coin, condition, and scarcity will help you determine what you might be asked to pay for one of these Half Dollars. Generally, however, the price range where you will find most Barbers is anywhere from $10 to $500, with better preserved coins taking up the higher price tags.

The Most Sought After Barber Half Dollars

As was touched on briefly already, the most sought after Half Dollars are those that have been extremely well-preserved over the years. These coins will be in great shape and will have avoided most of the damage that is typical of heavily circulated pieces.

In addition to this, you will find that some of the more sought after Barber Half Dollars are those produced with certain mintmarks. Because multiple types of the Barber Half Dollar were minted every year, the exact type of coin will carry its own rarity, and thus, its own price. Generally, however, you will find that the type is often overridden by the condition the coin is in.

Barber Half Dollars Future Value

For many collectors, the real question is not what a coin is worth now, but rather what it will be worth 5, 10, or even 20 years down the road. Realistically, it is impossible to accurately determine the exact value of a coin in the future. What we do know, however, is that as time moves forward, fewer and fewer Barber Half Dollars will be available for purchase. With these coins being bought up at such a rapid pace, you can bet that the average value of a Barber Half Dollar will continue to rise. This is especially true when it comes to those Barber Half Dollars that have been extremely well-preserved over the years. Seeing as well-preserved pieces account for the smallest quantity of Barbers remaining, but are still the most highly sought after, they are going to be purchased at a much higher rate than any other Barber that may be in poor shape.