1915 Barber Half Dollar

The last year of the Barber half dollar series, 1915 was the third consecutive year of anemic mintage figures for Philadelphia Barber half dollars. This means that coin collectors who manage to find a decent example of a 1915 Barber half dollar better expect to shell out some serious dough for it. The Denver and San Francisco issues from 1915 are far more common and feature prices that are more in line with the other common Barber halves of the era.

Below is a list of 1915 Barber halves and their mintages:

• 1915 – 138,000; $100

• 1915-D – 1,170,400; $18

• 1915-S – 1,604,000; $18

• 1915 proof – 450; $1,100

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

After 24 years of production, the Barber half dollar was retired and would be replaced the following year by the Walking Liberty half dollar, which was designed by Adolph A. Weinman. Meanwhile, the Barber half, by Charles E. Barber, would go on to circulate in large numbers for at least another three decades before they disappeared from circulation.

Today, Barber half dollars are widely collected as a type coin, and have a decent following as a series coin, too. Though with nearly 20 issues boasting mintages of less than 1 million pieces each, it’s safe to say that the Barber half dollar presents many challenges for numismatists and is only recommended for the patient and adventurous.