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- Product ID: 23753
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Replacing the Seated Liberty coinage, the Barber series was created by preference of the Mint Director, Edward Leech, in 1892. After a failed attempt to offer a friendly competition among local artists, Leech resorted to Chief Engraver, William Barber, to come up with the design. Barber's design extended to the dime, quarter, and half dollar; being one of the only coin designs to serve on all currency. Liberty is wearing a Grecian leaf cap, on the obverse, as the reverse features the nation's seal.
The Philadelphia Mint is the main branch of the US Mint and is the oldest mint in the US, being established in 1792. After the ratification of the Constitution, the Founding Fathers needed to establish a national identity and a means of commerce. At the time, Philadelphia was the capital of the US so it only made sense for the first mint to be built there. The Mint Act was also passed, during this time, to assign coins denominations based on their legal tender or metal fineness. This act also constituted that any coin in the US should feature "an impression emblematic of liberty." The Philadelphia Mint has participated in every coin series since it was established, leaving no mint-mark as their mark. The 1893 Barber Half Dollar was minted at the very first mint in the US and is in about good condition. Considered to be the lowest condition for the Barber series, collectors usually expect about good condition to contain heavy wear, lacking in much detail, but the date is usually still readable. The 1893 Half Dollar has a lower mintage of just 1.8 million.