1897 Barber Dime

1897 Barber dimes are a were struck in decent quantities and are generally affordable for many coin collectors. Designed by Charles E. Barber, chief engraver at the United States Mint, and first released in 1892, the Barber dime has many common dates. However, certain years during the mid 1890s, including 1897, saw production figures tighten up a bit, meaning several issues from that era are considered “tough” by coin collectors.

Here’s a breakdown of mintage figures and values for 1897 Barber dimes:

• 1897 – 10,868,533; $5

• 1897-O – 666,000; $70

• 1897-S – 1,342,844; $25

• 1897 proof – 731; $600

*Values are for coins in a grade of Good-4, unless otherwise noted.

The scarcest of the business-strike 1897 dimes is the New Orleans (O) issue, which is considered a semi-key date by many numismatists. The San Francisco (S) issue is also scarce, though not as much so as the O-mint, a coin that is fairly difficult to locate at coin dealers. The Philadelphia issue is considered common and can be bought for under $10 in the lowest circulated grades.

The 1897 proof dime is usually only pursued by Barber dime enthusiasts and is not required to complete a basic collection of business-strike issues.