1912-S Barber Half Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 1,370,000 made
- Mintage
- 1,370,000
- 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 a 1912-S 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 1912-S Barber Half Dollar rare?
- Somewhat. 1,370,000 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1912-S 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 a 1912 Barber Half Dollar?
- On the reverse, below the eagle's tail. Philadelphia halves have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1912 are scarcer?
- The 1913-S at 604,000, the 1914-S at 992,000, the 1907-S at 1,250,000, plus 1 more. So the 1912-S is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1912-S Barber Half Dollar coins were made?
- 1,370,000.
What to check on your 1912-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1912 (1.6 million made).
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- 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 1912-S
San Francisco made 1,370,000 in 1912, about the same as the year before. In 1913 the figure was 604,000.
1912 came to 1.6 million and 1912-D came to 2.3 million, so neither mint's 1912 coin is much scarcer than the other. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1908 (1,354,545) and the 1893-O (1,389,000).
Across San Francisco's 24 Barber Half Dollar issues, the hardest to find is the 1904-S with 553,038 made. The 1912-S is on the scarcer side of the middle. Within the 1910s it's 11th smallest of 16, between the 1911-S (1.3 million) and the 1911 (1.4 million).
Low Philadelphia mintages and the series end (1910 to 1915)
Philadelphia struck only 418,551 halves in 1910 and even fewer from 1913 to 1915: 188,624, 124,610 and 138,450. These are the lowest Philadelphia mintages of the series and they carry a premium even in worn grades.
Denver and San Francisco carried most of the output. The 1913-D at 534,000 and the 1911-D at 695,080 are the lowest branch issues of the period. The final coins were struck in 1915 at Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco before the Walking Liberty half replaced Barber's design in 1916. Proofs of these years were made in small numbers. They survive in nice condition more often than business strikes do. Examine the area below the eagle's tail on any 1913, 1914 or 1915 offered as a Philadelphia coin, since a removed mint mark leaves tooling marks.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1912
Denver and San Francisco struck nickels for the first time, the only branch-mint Liberty Head nickels. It was the last regular year of the design.
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 | 1912 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 1,370,000 |
| 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 1912 Barber Half Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 Barber Half Dollar | 1,550,700 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1912-D Barber Half Dollar | 2,300,800 | Circulation strike | 0.3617 oz |
| 1912-S Barber Half Dollar | 1,370,000 | 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.