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- Product ID: 20310
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With a mintage that is average for the Barber Half Dollar, the 1909 Barber Half Dollar is available in most grades for a decent premium. Minted by the Philadelphia Mint, the 1909 is in very good condition, exhibiting a large amount of wear on both sides of the coin and the main image details are lacking. The Philadelphia Mint has had its proverbial hand in every coin series since 1792, since it was the first mint to be established in the US. The Philadelphia Mint is also known for not leaving a mint-mark on its coins. When the Philadelphia Mint was first established, the US desperately needed an identity but also a means to international commerce. The Mint Act officially announced the opening of the Philadelphia Mint and also instituted guidelines for the newly minted currency. A dollar decimal system would be used to assign the currency with legal tender values.
If you are a coin engraver, serving as the US Mint Chief Engraver is a lifetime accomplishment. If you get the honor of being Chief Engraver, being able to have a coin series named after you is a dream. A familiar name to coin collectors, William Barber served as the Chief Engraver, to the US Mint, from 1869-1879. In just the short ten years as Chief Engraver, Barber was responsible for a history-breaking coin design. Being one of the only designs to grace all current denominations, the Barber design was inspired by the Grecian goddess, Liberty, who has been admired and loved by warriors since the beginning of time. Liberty wears an Acanthus leaf cap as a crown, which was very common in ancient Greece, and the "United States of America," and the coin's mint date are also simply stamped on the obverse. 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.