| In 1887, Mint Director James P. Kimball
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| | coins are MS/PR60+ condition. Robert
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| noted in his annual report the
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| | Freidberg bought this coin over the
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| "inferiority of our coinage" compared to
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| | counter for $2.40 (24 times face value)
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| other advanced nations and that in his
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| | at Gimbels Department Store, NY, in 1957.
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| opinion, the coinage of the U.S. was out
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| | If it is the "Ice Cream Specimen", it
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| of date and should be changed. At the
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| | certainly got around.
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| request of Kimball, Senator Justin S.
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| | Why did the mint only produce 24 dimes
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| Morill introduced a bill authorizing the
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| | that year? There are two stories. The
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| Treasury Department to redesign coins
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| | first is that the coins were struck to
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| without first obtaining the permission of
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| | provide a balance of forty cents needed
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| Congress, as long as the current design
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| | to close a bullion account at the San
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| had been in use for at least 25 years.
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| | Francisco Mint by June 30, 1894 - the end
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| The bill passed on September 26, 1890 and
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| | of the fiscal year. Since any even
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| the dime, quarter and half dollar were
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| | numbered (2, 4, 6, 8) dollar amount
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| targeted for change. The decision of who
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| | ending in forty cents was acceptable, the
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| should redesign the coins eventually fell
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| | employees were said to have struck 24
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| to his successor, Edward O. Leech.
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| | pieces, or $2.40. The expectation was
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| Ironically, new designs were submitted by
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| | that the Mint would receive orders for
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| Mint engravers throughout the early
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| | more dimes before the end of the calendar
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| 1880's but the only change that occurred
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| | year. December 31 passed without a
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| was a new nickel designed by Charles E.
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| | request for further production. According
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| Barber in 1883. In 1891, when there was
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| | to the story, two or three pieces were
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| discussion of a public competition for
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| | obtained by Mint employees "just to have
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| new designs. Barber reported to Mint
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| | a new dime," and when they realized the
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| director Kimball that there was no one in
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| | coins were now rare, they sold them to
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| the country capable in assisting him in
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| | collectors for $25 or more apiece. The
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| preparing original designs. Augustus
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| | remaining 1894-S dimes went into a bag
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| Saint-Gaudens confided to Kimball there
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| | with other dimes and into circulation.
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| were only four men in the world competent
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| | The more widely accept story is that the
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| do to such a redesign: three were in
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| | dimes were minted as a special request
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| France and he was the fourth. It did not
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| | for some visiting bankers. According to
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| matter. Kimball insisted that rather than
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| | an account from California dealer Earl
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| going abroad to find the best design
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| | Parker, who bought the two remaining
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| talent available, it would be possible to
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| | dimes that Hallie Daggett had, Hallie
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| find able designers in America. Against
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| | told Parker that her father minted the
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| the advice of Barber, the Treasury
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| | coins and presented 3 to each of the 7
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| Department organized a competition to
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| | visitors and gave the remaining three to
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| produce new designs. A panel of 10 of the
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| | her which has previously mentioned, she
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| leading artist and sculptors of the day
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| | spent one dime on ice cream.
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| were commissioned to judge which would be
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| | Most experts believe the "visiting
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| the best designs for new coinage. The
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| | bankers" theory as the likely reason. Of
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| panel met and instead of discussing the
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| | the known high grade coins, they all seem
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| competition, they instead rejected the
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| | to be proof strikes. It is unlikely that
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| terms of the competition as proposed by
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| | such care would have taken place to
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| Mint officials on the ground that the
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| | produce a few dimes to even out the books
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| preparation time was too short and the
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| | but it quite likely for coins made for
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| compensation woeful. The Mint director
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| | presentation.
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| rejected the panels' suggestions and
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| | Putting the 1894-S aside, most, if not
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| threw the competition out to the public.
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| | all dimes are readily available in low
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| The results were disastrous. Of the more
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| | grades. Collecting the series in higher
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| than 300 drawings submitted, only two
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| | grades is still achievable but certainly
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| received an honorable mention by a
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| | more challenging. Recall that this coin
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| smaller judging panel. It is interesting
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| | was heavily circulated. Assembling a
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| to note that two of the judges were
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| | collecting of all MS65 or better, while
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| Barber and Saint-Gaudens.
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| | no doubt out of the financial reach of
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| When Leech took over as Mint director, he
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| | most collectors, is possible, as there is
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| was well aware of the problems his
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| | at least 1 coin graded in MS65 by PCGS
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| predecessor had experienced. In order to
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| | for each mint and year. For the rest of
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| get new designs into production and avoid
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| | us, collecting this series in average
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| another disaster of a competition, he
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| | circulated grades is without a doubt
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| simply directed Barber to draw up new
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| | doable. Back during the days of this
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| designs. This is what Barber had wanted
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| | coin, a dime was real money and as such,
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| all along has he felt as Chief Engraver,
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| | this series is heavily circulated. While
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| he, and he alone was responsible for coin
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| | many dates had mintages in the millions,
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| design.
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| | there are a few dates where the total
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| The result was not much in the way of
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| | mintage is around 500,000 thereby making
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| originality. That would have to wait for
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| | the acquisition of these a little more
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| more than another 25 years. What Barber
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| | challenging and painful to the wallet
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| did was to modify the large head used on
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| | purse. For example, the 1895-O had a
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| the Morgan dollar by adding a Liberty cap
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| | mintage of 440,000. Obtaining this coin
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| and cropping Liberty's hair shorter in
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| | in a grade of G to VG could cost you
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| back. He then placed his initial B on the
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| | between $400-$600. It only gets worse
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| truncation of the neck. This was the
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| | from there as an XF-40 will cost you over
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| design used not only on the dime, but the
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| | $2000. The 1901-S had a mintage of
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| new quarter and the new half dollar as
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| | 593,022 and is not quite as expensive and
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| well.
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| | can be had for less than $100 in G
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| The reverse did not go through much of an
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| | condition and for around $500 in XF-40
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| overhaul either as it uses almost the
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| | condition. The 1903-S had a mintage of
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| exact same reverse of its predecessor,
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| | 613,300 and is similar priced on lower
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| the Seated Liberty Dime. While many do
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| | grades but is higher priced than the
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| not credit Barber with much artistic
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| | 1901-S in higher grades suggesting the
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| ability, what he lacked in design
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| | 1903-S did not fair as well in
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| capabilities he made up for in knowledge
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| | circulation. The second lowest mintage
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| in regards to designing a coin that would
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| | dime was the 1913-S with a mintage of
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| withstand a modern high-speed coin press.
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| | 510,000. While having the second lowest
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| On January 2, 1892, the first of over
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| | mintage, it is not in the top 10 as far
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| half a billion Barber dimes were struck.
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| | as price and can be had for around $20 in
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| Collectibility
| |
| | G4 and $35 for VG8. Earlier coins, even
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| General
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| | those with mintages over a million
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| The Barber dime series consists of 74
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| | pieces, will cost you more than the
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| regular issues, plus the super-rare
| |
| | 1913-S suggesting that earlier dates,
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| 1894-S. While half a billion dimes for an
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| | even those with high mintages may be
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| entire series pales in comparison to
| |
| | tough to acquire.
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| today's coin production, it was big
| |
| | If the cost of an entire set is too much,
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| numbers back in the 1800's. With a low
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| | a year set could prove to be a much more
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| relief, Barber dimes faired well and
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| | frugal approach. As mentioned earlier,
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| although there are a few semi-key issues
| |
| | the Philadelphia mint generally produced
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| (not including 1894-s), an entire set in
| |
| | the majority of Barber dimes. The only
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| circulated condition can be assembled for
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| | year that a branch-mint exceeded
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| under $1500.00 in G4 or so condition. As
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| | production of Philadelphia was in 1895
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| is common with many series of this time
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| | when Philadelphia produced only 690,880
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| period, Philadelphia was the main
| |
| | pieces while San Francisco produced
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| producer of coinage. The San Francisco
| |
| | 1,120,000. With the expectation of a few
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| and New Orleans mint typically produced
| |
| | earlier dates, most Philadelphia examples
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| far few examples in almost all years of
| |
| | can be obtained for a few dollars in G4
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| production making earlier years more
| |
| | and for less than $10.00 per coin in F to
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| difficult to obtain. Denver did not begin
| |
| | VF condition.
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| producing Barber dimes until 1906.
| |
| | If you are into collecting Barber type
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| Key/Semi Key Dates
| |
| | coins, the Barber dime may be just the
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| While most Barber Dimes are obtainable,
| |
| | ticket for the budget conscience
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| one of the rarest of all coins came from
| |
| | collector.
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| this series. The 1894-S dime had a total
| |
| | Errors
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| mintage of 24 and only 10 can now be
| |
| | The Barber dime series consists two major
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| accounted for which presents one of the
| |
| | varieties (1893/2-P and 1905-O micro-O).
|
| great numismatic mysteries of the time.
| |
| | Proofs
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| Allegedly, 24 pieces were struck at the
| |
| | There are 24 coins in the proof Barber
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| order of San Francisco Mint
| |
| | dime series, not counting the branch mint
|
| Superintendent J. Daggett. Of the ten
| |
| | proof 1894-S. The mintages range from 425
|
| known, all were struck from the same set
| |
| | for the 1914 to 1,245 for the
|
| of dies. The best known story is that
| |
| | first-year-of-issue 1892. A grand total
|
| Daggett gave three to his daughter Hallie
| |
| | of 17,353 proof coins were produced for
|
| and told her to keep them until she was
| |
| | the whole series. While extremely low,
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| as old as he was, when they would be
| |
| | the rarest of proofs in MS-65 is the 1908
|
| worth a lot of money. On her way home
| |
| | with 12 pieces certified at PCGS.
|
| from the mint, her newfound riches got
| |
| | Vital Statistics Summary
|
| the best of her and she spent one of the
| |
| | Key Coin Info
|
| dimes on a dish of ice cream. Today that
| |
| | Designed by: Charles E. Barber
|
| coin is known as the ice cream specimen.
| |
| | Issue dates: 1892-1916
|
| Although there is no to prove it was the
| |
| | Composition: 0.900 part silver, 0.100
|
| one that a young Hallie spent, one of the
| |
| | part copper
|
| known specimens is heavily circulated. It
| |
| | Diameter: 17.9 mm.
|
| has been graded as a G4 while all other
| |
| | Weight: 38.
|
