1899 Barber Half Dollar

1899 Barber half dollars are an excellent choice for type collectors because halves from that year are more common than virtually any other year in the entire series. In fact, Philadelphia posted the highest single-mint production of any mint from any year of the Barber half dollar series. The Barber half dollar, otherwise known as the Liberty Head half dollar, was designed by Charles E. Barber and first released in 1892.

While the Barber dimes, quarters, and half dollars (which share a common obverse design) were generally not very well received by numismatists back when those coins were first released, they have become favorites among many coin collectors.

Here’s a breakdown of mintage figures and values for 1899 Barber half dollars:

• 1899 – 5,538,000; $18

• 1899-O – 1,724,000; $28

• 1899-S – 1,686,411 - $28

• 1899 proof – 846; $900

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

While it is true that original, problem-free Barber half dollars grading a full Good or better are somewhat difficult to find sometimes, that is usually not the case with any Barber halves from 1899. Many collectors can even find specimens of that date in the tough grades of Fine and up for comparatively affordable prices, which is one major reason why type collectors commonly descend on Barber half issues such as the 1899 Philadelphia half and its branch-mint cousins.