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William Barber, the US Mint Chief Engraver from 1879-1917, designed the Barber coinage. The Barber coinage is one of the only times in history wherein all of the circulating currency matched in design. The dime, the quarter, and the half dollar all contained the same Grecian liberty design and were minted from 1892-1916. The Seated Liberty was on the chopping block and the US Mint Director, Edward Leech, wanted to change the design. He first put out an add for a competition among local artists, hoping to lure them in with a cash prize for the winner. When the response was less than what he bargained for, Leech collaborated with Barber to come up with a design. The New Orleans Mint was a strong part of currency history, participating in some of the most historical collections, such as the Morgan Silver Dollar and the Barber coins. The Old Mint would mark their coins with an "O" mint-mark, signifying where the coin was produced. Although decommissioned in 1909, the New Orleans Mint still stands on US soil as one of the oldest landmarks. After its days as a mint, it also served as an assay office, storage unit for the US Coast Guard, and even a fallout shelter.
The 1906 Barber Dime was minted in Philadelphia and is considered to be in Extra Fine condition. Collectors prefer Extra Fine coins, since most of the coin's original detail is still present and the cost is usually low. There were over 19.5 million Barber Dimes minted in 1906, by the Philly Mint, collectors have no issue finding these 110 year old gems. Liberty originated from Greek folklore as a goddess and as been adapted on US currency ever since. She wears an Acanthus leaf cap around her head, with the coin's date of mintage below her portrait. The reverse contains only the coin's denomination and a Grecian leaf wreath.