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- Product ID: 20318
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The 1909 Barber Half Dollar was minted at the very first mint in the US and is in very good condition. Collectors expect very good condition to contain large amounts of wear and is lacking in major detailing. 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. 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. The Mint Act also mandated that an emblematic symbol of liberty should be depicted on all US currency, lending to the Lady Liberty obsession throughout history.
The Barber Half Dollar is one of the only coin collections to have the same design on the dime, quarter, and half dollar. The Barber Half Dollar replaced the Seated Liberty coinage, by preference of the Mint Director, Edward Leech. 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 Barber Dime is the only Barber coin to not showcase the heraldic eagle, holding the shield, on its reverse.