Barber dimes use a stable twenty-five-year design across four mints, but their collecting story ranges from plentiful worn coins to the extraordinary 1894-S.
This guide covers the 1892–1916 Barber dime and its modeled 1893 overdate and 1905-O Micro O varieties. Barber quarters and half dollars remain separate denominations.
Core specifications
- Issue period
- 1892–1916
- Catalog mints
- 4
- Reported catalog mintage
- 487,280,128
- Composition
- 90% Silver - 10% Copper
- Diameter
- 17.9 mm
- Weight
- 2.5 g
A uniform design for everyday silver change
Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber's Liberty design replaced the long-running Seated dime in 1892. Its compact portrait and wreath were intended to work reliably in large-scale production.
Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Denver produced the series. Most dates circulated heavily, while several branch-mint issues—and especially the reported twenty-four-piece 1894-S—belong to very different availability tiers.
Obverse, reverse, and the details that identify the type
Confirm the major design, date, and mint mark before studying smaller die differences.
The main portrait and date
Liberty faces right wearing a cap, laurel wreath, and a headband inscribed LIBERTY; IN GOD WE TRUST, stars, and the date surround the portrait.
Denomination, subject, and mint mark
ONE DIME appears inside a cereal wreath tied at the bottom. The mint mark, when present, sits below the bow.
Where the cataloged coins were made
Totals are calculated from reported issue records in this catalog; unknown figures are not counted as zero.
- P — Philadelphia: 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916; 329,762,492. Philadelphia issues commonly carry no P mint mark in classic series; confirm the expected blank area rather than searching for a letter.
- D — Denver: 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1914; 54,951,000. Confirm the D mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
- S — San Francisco: 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916; 54,294,936. Confirm the S mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
- O — New Orleans: 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909; 48,271,700. Confirm the O mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
Representative issues that explain the series
A readable circulated date-and-mint set is a long but coherent project, with the rarest issues treated as separate specialist decisions.
- 1892 P — 12,121,245. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1894 S — 24. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1895 O — 440,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1901 S — 593,022. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1913 S — 510,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1916 P — 18,490,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
Start with the major type, then study smaller die differences
The current catalog records 2 varieties. A variety name describes repeatable die features; it does not automatically mean error, rarity, or added value.
The issue catalog keeps all 2 modeled varieties attached to their parent issue records.
Issue catalog
From one type coin to a complete catalog
- One representative coin: Choose one problem-free, readable example and learn the size, edge, and major design.
- Major-type set: Use one coin per major design to show changes in artwork, composition, or production.
- Dates and mints: Work through the issue catalog by date and mint, defining special finishes separately.
- Variety study: Choose one date or diagnostic family and record several matching markers for every attribution.
A note on catalog records
This page uses 75 issue records, 2 modeled varieties, and currently reported mintages; unknown values remain unknown.
Sources
- Dime: Designs and History — United States Mint
- Barber Dime category reference — PCGS CoinFacts