A British-born engraver whose decade as Chief Engraver produced the Trade dollar, twenty-cent piece, patterns, and extensive medal work.
Biography
Barber trained and worked as an engraver in Britain before emigrating to the United States. He joined the Mint under Longacre and succeeded him in 1869, while his son Charles developed within the same engraving department.
Style and legacy
His work uses robust neoclassical figures and tightly organized reverses intended to survive hard use and international trade. Medal work allowed more expansive portrait relief. The Trade dollar linked Mint art to overseas silver commerce. Barber also established a family succession that shaped the engraving department into the early twentieth century.