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The Barber design is one of the only currency designs to be featured on all denominations at one time and was named after the US Mint's Chief Engraver, William Barber. The coins were in circulation from 1892-1916, but the half dollar wasn't minted the last couple of years before the series ended. The Seated Liberty design had run its course and the Mint's Director, Edward Leech, wanted to officially change the design. Holding a competition, Leech wanted to encourage participation by giving the winner a cash prize. All of the local artists invited declined and Leech resorted to his mint for direction. William Barber was ultimately assigned the task to create a new design for the US currency, that would replace the Seated Liberty.
Barber used the Head of Liberty to grace the obverse of the Barber coin series. Liberty's look is inspired by a Grecian Goddess and she wears an Acanthus leaf cap as a crown. "United States of America," and the coin's mint date are also simply stamped on the obverse of the Barber Half Dollar. The reverse contains the nation's official seal, which is of a heraldic eagle holding a shield. Each of the eagle's talons are grasping a symbolic gesture: olive branches and arrows. This design is still used on modern day coinage and represents the strength of the nation, while understanding the price that needs to be paid for freedom. The 1902-S Barber Half Dollar is in fine condition, exhibiting a worn surface on both sides of the coin. Carrying the infamous "S" mint-mark, the 1902-S was minted in San Francisco.