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In New Orleans, stands a prominent building nicknamed The Old Mint. Considered to be one of the oldest US historic landmarks, the New Orleans Mint's halls once produced highly collectible coins that are still being enjoy presently. The Old Mint served as a branch of the US Mint from 1838-1861, then again from 1879-1909; serving alongside three other mints in order to produce the highly collectible Morgan silver dollar. At one point in time, the New Orleans Mint's ownership switched three times over the course of 3 weeks, by the state of Louisiana and the Confederate army. Decommissioned in 1909, the New Orleans Mint has been used as an assay office, a fallout shelter, and a storage facility for the US Coast Guard. The Old Mint also participated in other important coin series, such as the Barber coinage, marking its coins with the letter "O." The 1896-O Barber Dime was minted by the New Orleans Mint and has one of the lowest mintages of just 610,000. Considered to be in very good condition, the 1896-O contains large abrasions on the entire coin surface and does not have intricate detailing on the main images.
The Barber design is one of the only coin collections that has the same design on all denominations. William Barber, the Chief Mint Engraver, was asked by the Mint Director to make the design for a new series of coins, including the dime, quarter, and half dollar. William Barber only served 10 years as Chief Engraver before passing away and handing over the torch to his son, Charles Barber. Apart from inheriting the top position, at the US Mint, Charles Barber also inherited his father's apprentice, George T. Morgan, who would design the record breaking Morgan Silver Dollar. The Barber design includes Liberty wearing a Grecian leaf crown and the coin's date of mintage. The reverse only reveals the coin's monetary denomination.