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- Product ID: 20314
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Made from 90% silver, the Barber series is in high demand among collectors and intrigued investors. The 1908 Barber Half Dollar is in very good condition, exhibiting heavy wear on both sides of the coin but its details are still readable. The 1908 was minted in Philadelphia, but carries no mint-mark. William Barber served as the Chief Engraver, to the US Mint, from 1869-1879 and in just the short ten years as Chief Engraver, Barber was responsible for a history-breaking coin design. 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. 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.
At the time the Philadelphia Mint was established, 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. The Mint Act also mandated that an emblematic symbol of liberty should be depicted on all US currency, lending to the Lady Liberty craze over the years. The Philadelphia Mint 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.