1894-O Barber Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the New Orleans Mint · 2,138,000 made
- Mintage
- 2,138,000
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 12.5 g
- Diameter
- 30.6 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1894-O Barber Half Dollar worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.3617 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1894-O Barber Half Dollar rare?
- No. 2.1 million were made, a typical run for the series. Condition and varieties decide its value, not the date.
- Is the 1894-O Barber Half Dollar silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.3617 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1894 Barber Half Dollar?
- On the reverse, below the eagle's tail. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is O, for New Orleans.
- Which New Orleans dates near 1894 are scarcer?
- The 1892-O at 390,000, the 1897-O at 632,000, the 1898-O at 874,000, plus 4 more. So the 1894-O is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1894-O Barber Half Dollar coins were made?
- 2,138,000.
What to check on your 1894-O
- Make sure the mint mark really is a O. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1894 (1.1 million made).
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. A full LIBERTY on the headband is the key to Very Fine and better.
Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.
The story of the 1894-O
Output at New Orleans climbed to 2,138,000 in 1894, from 1.4 million the year before. The next year it made 1.8 million (1895-O).
1894 came to 1.1 million and 1894-S came to 4 million, so neither mint's 1894 coin is much scarcer than the other.
New Orleans struck the Barber Half Dollar in 18 issues between 1892 and 1909. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1892-O (390,000). Within the 1890s it's 19th smallest of 24, between the 1895 (1.8 million) and the 1898-S (2.4 million).
Barber halves debut at three mints (1892 to 1896)
Charles Barber's half dollar matched his dime and quarter of 1892, with Liberty's head on the obverse and a heraldic eagle on the reverse. Philadelphia, New Orleans and San Francisco all struck it from the start. The 1892-O includes the rare Micro O variety, with a mint mark much smaller than normal, apparently from a punch made for a smaller denomination.
Mintages in these years ran from 390,000 for the 1892-O to more than 4 million for the 1894-S. The 1892-O and 1893-S, at 740,000, are scarce in mint state. Barber halves wore quickly at the high points of the cap and hair. Most survivors from these years show the LIBERTY headband partly or wholly worn away. First-year 1892 Philadelphia coins were saved in some numbers and are the easiest of the period in high grade.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1894
The San Francisco Mint struck just 24 dimes dated 1894, one of the most famous rarities in American coinage.
How to recognize it
Charles Barber's Liberty faces right wearing a cap, a laurel wreath and a headband inscribed LIBERTY, with IN GOD WE TRUST above and 13 stars around. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle with a shield, arrows and an olive branch and the words HALF DOLLAR below. The mint mark sits below the eagle's tail.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Barber Half Dollar (1892–1915) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1894 |
| Mint | New Orleans Mint |
| Mint mark | "O" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 2,138,000 |
| Face value | 50¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 12.5 grams |
| Diameter | 30.6 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.3617 troy oz (11.250 g) |
| Designer | Charles E. Barber |
Other 1894 Barber Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1894 Barber Half Dollar | 1,148,972 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1894-S Barber Half Dollar | 4,048,690 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1894-O Barber Half Dollar | 2,138,000 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
Mintage: United States half dollar mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.