Melt values › Barber half dollar
Barber half dollar value today: melt value and specs
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By GoldGuy. First published Oct 24, 2026. Specs checked against the sources below on Oct 24, 2026; melt values refresh with every price update. Numista catalog: N#10085.
As of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET, a Barber half dollar is worth $17.81 in silver, per Bullion Price Check: 0.36169 troy oz of pure silver × silver spot $49.25/oz (gold-api.com). Barber halves are more than 100 years old, so check the date and wear before selling at melt.
Key facts
- Melt value: $17.81 (Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET)
- Silver content: 0.36169 troy oz
- Weight / fineness: 12.50 g, 90% silver (.900)
- Years: 1892–1915
- Silver spot: $49.25/oz (gold-api.com, Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET)
Specifications (checked Oct 24, 2026)
| Spec | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Years struck | 1892–1915 | source |
| Weight | 12.50 g | source |
| Fineness | .900 silver | source |
| Pure silver | 0.36169 troy oz | calculated |
Sources: Coinage Act of 1873, secs. 13 and 15 (17 Stat. 424), full text at FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; U.S. Mint: Half Dollar (design history). Under the Coinage Act of 1873 (sec. 13) US silver coins were 900 parts silver per 1,000 by weight, and (sec. 15) the half dollar weighed 12.5 grams, with the quarter at half that weight and the dime at one fifth. Those standards held until the Coinage Act of 1965 removed silver from dimes and quarters and cut the half dollar to 40% silver. (Coinage Act of 1873, secs. 13 and 15 (17 Stat. 424), full text at FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; Coinage Act of 1965, Public Law 89-81 (79 Stat. 254), congress.gov)
Barber half dollar melt value by quantity
| Coins | Face value | Silver (troy oz) | Melt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0.50 | 0.3617 | $17.81 |
| 5 | $2.50 | 1.8085 | $89.07 |
| 10 | $5.00 | 3.6169 | $178.15 |
| 20 | $10.00 | 7.2338 | $356.29 |
| 40 | $20.00 | 14.4676 | $712.59 |
| 100 | $50.00 | 36.1690 | $1,781.47 |
Melt = 0.36169 troy oz × silver spot $49.25/oz as of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET (gold-api.com). Full-weight coins; worn coins can be slightly lighter.
How to recognize a Barber half dollar
A Liberty head on the front and a heraldic eagle on the back; it is the design the U.S. Mint lists between the Seated Liberty half (to 1891) and the Walking Liberty half (from 1916).
Barber half dollar facts
- There is no 1916 Barber half: the design ended in 1915 and the Walking Liberty took over in 1916. (source)
- The Barber half replaced the Seated Liberty half, which the U.S. Mint lists from 1839 to 1891. (source)
- Cleaning a coin does not change the silver inside, but it can change what a collector will pay, so do not clean a coin before it is valued.
Before you sell a Barber half
Barber halves, struck 1892–1915, are the oldest coins in this batch. Heavy wear can take a little silver off the coin, so a well-worn Barber may weigh slightly less than 12.5 g; weigh it if you are selling a large lot by melt.
Silver content alone makes a Barber half worth the melt figure above. Better dates and well-preserved coins carry collector premiums, so check the year before you sell.
$1 face = 0.7234 oz silver ($35.63 today, full weight; worn-coin basis).
Barber half dollar: collector estimate vs melt
Pick a year to compare Numista's live estimates by grade with melt (N#10085).
Each check uses our limited monthly allowance of Numista requests, so it runs only when you click.
Related melt values
Barber quarter · Walking Liberty half dollar · Franklin half dollar · 1964 Kennedy half dollar · 1964 quarter · junk silver per $1 face · Coin value lookup (melt vs collector estimate) · Sell silver coins
Frequently asked questions
How much silver is in a Barber half dollar?
0.36169 troy oz when the coin is at full weight (12.5 g, 90% silver). Heavy wear removes a small amount.
What is the melt value of a Barber half dollar?
$17.81 as of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET at full weight.
What is a 1912 Barber half dollar worth?
Its silver is worth $17.81 as of Oct 31, 2026 2:24 AM ET. A collector premium depends on the mint mark and condition; the Numista check on this page shows live estimates for 1912.
Numista data on this page (issue lists and collector price estimates) is loaded live from Numista each time you ask for it, through our server, and is not stored by Bullion Price Check. Numista is a collaborative catalog: its estimates are not an appraisal, a grading or an offer. Source: Numista (numista.com). Numista is a trademark of its owner; no endorsement implied.
General information, not financial advice. Bullion Price Check publishes price data; it does not buy or sell coins.