1896 Barber Half Dollar

1896 Barber half dollars are relatively scarce, like all other 1890s halves. These half dollars, which were designed by Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber, are very popular among collectors of 19th- and 20th-century United States coinage, type coins, and silver coins. What’s more, many of these coins were melted during booms in silver prices years ago. So, those two factors mean you may need to search high and low for an 1896 Barber half dollar that meets your desires.

To help illustrate the scarcity of 1896 half dollars, check out the mintage figures below:

• 1896 – 950,000; $22

• 1896-O – 924,000; $43

• 1896-S – 1,140,948; $115

• 1896 proof – 762; $900

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

Bear in mind that Barber half dollars saw very heavy usage during their time in circulation, as 50 cents equaled a sizable part of a daily wage. Coin collectors also weren’t generally interested in saving contemporary coins back around the turn of the century. That means finding a Barber half dollar of a specific date-and-mintmark combination that even grades a full Good and is problem free can unfortunately be a somewhat tricky prospect. For a little perspective, coin collectors who try to complete an entire series collection of Barber halves often spend years doing so.