Barber Dimes (1892-1916)

In 1892 a new dime design, by Charles E. Barber, made its appearance. Known first as the Liberty Head dime and later (and currently by collectors) as the Barber dime, the motif featured an androgynous depiction of Liberty, not clearly a "Miss" but intended as such. Barber dimes were produced continuously through 1916 with no major changes. All issues are readily collectible, save for the 1894-S of which just 24 were struck.

In the "Trends" column of Coin World, Keith M. Zaner commented on Barber coins in general and a collector's enjoyment of Barber dimes in particular:

"The demand for circulated key and semi-key date coins is rapidly increasing. Activity at major shows has indicated strong demand for 19th and 20th century rare dates. Is it the collector or the investor who is buying? It really doesn't matter, because throughout the history of coin collecting, price appreciation for rare dates more often than not has been better than its common-date counterparts. The more difficult dates are usually last to occupy those spaces in one's album, including the difficult dates and mintmark varieties which aren't readily available to the collector even if he is willing to pay the current prices.

"Significant gains in value have occurred for these key and semi-key date coins. The Barber dime, quarter dollar and half dollar series quickly come to mind. The desire to acquire scarcer date Fine, Extremely Fine and About Uncirculated coins dominates demand. Not only is this a challenging task, but it can also be quite rewarding monetarily. There are many dates and mint varieties which have been moving up in value. A look at recent `Trends' will bear this out.

"The Barber coins are doing well because there are many semi-key and key dates available. A young collector becoming interested in the Barber series can afford the challenge and at the same time complete the collection in his lifetime. Of course, most would have to exclude the 1894-S Barber dime.

"One new coin collector that I know has chosen Barber dimes. He picked this denomination over the quarter dollar or half dollar because it fits his budget better. Initially, the design interested him enough to want to know more. However, the chance to put together a decent collection in Very Fine or better condition became most attractive. Collecting these Barber dimes offers entertainment value, so there isn't any concern about future price appreciation, although I do think it is in the back of his mind."