1897-O Barber Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the New Orleans Mint · 632,000 made
- Mintage
- 632,000
- 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 1897-O Barber Half Dollar worth?
It's scarcer than a typical date, so even circulated examples sell above face and above their metal value. The best uncirculated coins are where the money is.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1897-O Barber Half Dollar rare?
- Somewhat. 632,000 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1897-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 1897 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 1897 are scarcer?
- The 1892-O at 390,000. So the 1897-O is on the scarcer side for those years.
- How many 1897-O Barber Half Dollar coins were made?
- 632,000.
What to check on your 1897-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 1897-S (933,900 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.
Never clean it. Collectors pay strong premiums for original surfaces and natural toning on a date like this. A cleaned coin can lose half its value or more.
The story of the 1897-O
Output at New Orleans slipped to 632,000 in 1897, from 924,000 the year before. In 1898 the figure was 874,000.
1897-S came to 933,900 and 1897 came to 2.5 million, so neither mint's 1897 coin is much scarcer than the other. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1913-S (604,000) and the 1905 (662,727).
Only the 1892-O and the 1905-O have a lower mintage among New Orleans's 18 Barber Half Dollars. Among the 1890s issues, only the 1892-O had a smaller run.
Key dates from New Orleans and San Francisco (1897 to 1905)
The 1897-O (632,000) and 1897-S (933,900) are the keys of the series and are scarce in every grade. Later scarce dates include the 1901-S (847,044), the 1904-S (553,038) and the 1905-O (505,000). Philadelphia's own 1905 mintage of 662,727 was also low, though Philadelphia struck far more in most other years of the period.
Philadelphia mintages otherwise rose, reaching 5,538,846 in 1899, so Philadelphia halves of the late 1890s are common in worn grades. Because the key dates are branch mint coins, altered or added mint marks are a known problem. Check the O or S below the eagle under magnification. When judging grade, look for a complete LIBERTY on the headband and clear feathers on the eagle's wings. Many key date survivors are worn to Good, with the rims touching the legends.
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 | 1897 |
| Mint | New Orleans Mint |
| Mint mark | "O" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 632,000 |
| 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 1897 Barber Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1897 Barber Half Dollar | 2,480,731 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1897-S Barber Half Dollar | 933,900 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1897-O Barber Half Dollar | 632,000 | 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.