Review of Third ‘Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins’

When I started collecting in the 1950s, the occasional Barber silver coin could still be found in circulation. It tended to be well-worn, of course, typically down to the AG-G grade range.

Although many critics would pronounce the design as bland, at best, Barber coins were the exotics in my collecting world, so I liked them immensely. My favorite Barber coins of all time were a couple of quarters I got from a friendly trolley driver who stopped every day for a break at my junior high school. The coins were the product of the New Orleans Mint, which is not too surprising given that I grew up in Louisiana.

The dates were 1897-O and 1904-O, and the grades were at least AU-50. I paid face value for the two and many years later happened upon an 1895-O in similar condition priced at only $1. Unfortunately, all three are long gone from my collection, but I think you can see why I developed an inordinate fondness for Barber coins, particularly Barber quarters.

The reason I tell you all this is because of the Whitman (whitman.com) publication I’m reviewing in this column: A Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins. It’s the third edition by Q. David Bowers, with a foreword by John Frost, president of the Barber Coin Collectors’ Society.

A former president of the American Numismatic Association and of the Professional Numismatists Guild, Bowers has written more than 50 books and literally thousands of articles. After writing many books for Whitman’s lengthy Guide Book series, Bowers is now revising them. This new edition of A Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins is a major part of that effort.

Like previous editions, Bowers begins his look at the three Charles E. Barber silver series by establishing the historical context within which the new coins appeared. He recounts the work of three judges to choose the best entry from a group of submissions. In the end, the three concluded that none of the submissions were decided improvements over the then-circulating Liberty Seated design.

Of course, one of the judges was Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber, and in the end, Mint Director Edward O. Leech chose Barber for the design. Unfortunately, his creations did not meet with universal acclaim. One writer began his critique with the following sentence: “The mountain has labored and brought forth a mouse.”

The coining of these “mice” began on Jan. 2, 1892, and complaints were quickly voiced. One problem, according to bank tellers, was that the relief was so high on the quarters and half dollars that they wouldn’t stack properly. Another complaint was that the coins weren’t artistic.

Any contemporary complaints aside, Barber silver coins continued to be produced until 1917, with new designs being introduced in 1916 (Mercury dime, Standing Liberty quarter, Walking Liberty half dollar). Through at least the first three decades of the 20th century, Barber’s silver coins and the Liberty Head nickel were the workhorse coins in circulation. By the time collectors developed an interest in the different series, most of the coins were worn down to the grades of AG-VG, with relatively few really high-grade examples available.

In one of the book’s many interesting chapters, Bowers gives the reader a look at what was happening in current events and on the numismatic scene in each of the years that Barber silver coins were produced. Having a personal interest in a few of the years, I looked at what Bowers had to say about 1905, the year my late father-in-law was born.

In the little more than a page devoted to the year, Bowers wrote the following about Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “Because of Franklin’s polio-related health problems, Eleanor would assist him heavily on the campaign trail leading to the White House ...” The tie-in to 1905 is that Roosevelt married Eleanor that year.

Roosevelt’s illness occurred in 1921 when he was 39 years old. Although it was diagnosed as polio at the time, some modern researchers contend that it was more likely to have been Guillain–Barré syndrome. Some other famous people who had the disease include Johnny Cash, Andy Griffith, and Julia Child.

The bulk of the book, and what most purchasers will be looking for, begins with Chapter 4, “Barber Dimes.” This chapter, like the two following chapters, examines its subject date-by-date, beginning with 1892 and ending with 1916 (1915 in the case of Barber Half Dollars).

A look at grading is one important topic you’ll find in the chapters. This look follows the now-familiar pattern of photographs of actual coins in a particular grade and text describing design features showing different amounts of wear at each grade.

The information about each date/mintmark combination follows a set pattern, which I’ll discuss as it relates to one of my favorite Barber quarters, the 1914-S. First, the circulation-strike mintage is given 264,000, which you may recognize as the same mintage as the key-date 1916-D Mercury dime. The mintage is followed by enlarged photographs of the obverse and reverse of a high-grade 1914-S.

Next, Bowers gives estimates of the date’s availability in Mint State. The estimates are followed by the statement that the 1914-S is a low-mintage rarity.

Estimates of the date’s availability in circulated grades precede a comment about the characteristics of striking. Bowers says they are variable, and you should look for a sharp one.

Bowers follows each date’s discussion with a table comparing values from the 2nd edition and the 3rd edition. For the 1914-S, the values have all gone up, particularly for coins in higher grades.

Bowers closes each chapter with a page of photographs of proof Barber coins. For each of the years of proof production, the mintage is given, and there’s a note about the availability of the proofs. Market values are also compared between the two editions.

Appendix A examines the life and work of Charles E. Barber, complete with photographs of his coin and medal accomplishments. Appendix B recounts “The Real Story of the 1894-S Barber Dime,” which Bowers attributes to Jeff Ambio, the professional numismatist. If you’re not already familiar with the story, you’ll find this account fascinating.

Additional appendices look at the mints that produced Barber coins, at Mint directors and superintendents between 1892 and 1916, at Barber coin errors, and at Barber himself. As you would expect in a work of this caliber, each chapter has extensive notes, there’s a selected bibliography, and the book includes a several-page index.

In summary, any fan of the Barber Silver series needs a copy of this new edition in their numismatic library. Published with a list price of $29.95, A Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins, 3rd Edition, is available from the publisher (whitman.com) or from online booksellers such as Amazon.com.

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