1912 Barber Dime

1912 Barber dimes are about as common as 1911 dimes and are commonly sought by type coin collectors who want a high-grade specimen of designer Charles E. Barber’s dime. 1912 was not a significant year for Barber dime enthusiasts and for that reason most do not have to go through much trouble to complete a set of dimes from that year.

Here’s a breakdown of mintages and values for 1912 Barber dimes:

• 1912 – 19,349,300; $5

• 1912-D – 11,760,000; $5

• 1912-S – 3,420,000; $7

• 1912 proof – 700; $600

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

As is typical in the Barber dime series, the Philadelphia mint carried much of the minting burden for the year, with the Denver mint coming in a somewhat distant second. The San Francisco mint struck a decent load of dimes, though only about one-tenth of the overall mintage for all three mints combined.

Yet, the smaller mintage of 1912-S Barber dimes does not render that issue as exceptionally scarce, and in a grade of Good it can be found with relative ease at your nearest coin dealer. Buying the proof 1912 Barber dime is not necessary to complete the business-strike series set and can therefore be skipped by most Barber dime collectors.