Rare 1894 Barber Dime Poised for Million-Dollar Auction

Stack’s Bowers Galleries will feature a surviving 1894 Barber-series dime at its Rarities Night auction. The opening bid is set at $1 million, and online bidding on the Stack’s Bowers website begins on September 1. The coin was minted in San Francisco more than 130 years ago and is one of only nine known surviving examples of the 24 originally produced there.

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The Barber dimes, designed by engraver Charles E. Barber, entered production in the 1890s. Dimes struck at the San Francisco mint in 1894 are especially prized because of their limited mintage. Records show that three of the 24 coins were assayed, leaving 21 that survived the initial testing; the fate of the remaining 12 is unknown. Past sales of similar Barber dimes illustrate the market’s appetite: one sold for $2.16 million in 2022, another fetched $1.5 million in 2020, and a third changed hands for $1.035 million in 2005. For broader context, a 1873 dime sold for $3.6 million in 2023, and a 1792 “dismes” example sold for nearly $999,000 in 2016.

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• Original 1894 San Francisco mintage: 24 coins

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• Assayed specimens: 3 (leaving 21 survivors)

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• Known surviving examples today: 9

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• Highest recent sale of a Barber dime: $2.16 million (2022)

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• Comparable high-value dimes: 1873 dime $3.6 million (2023); 1792 dime $999,000 (2016)

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Dustin Johnson, vice president of numismatics at Heritage Auctions, advises collectors who suspect they own a valuable dime to seek professional evaluation, noting that rarity alone does not guarantee high value.

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• “Odd items are always set aside but that doesn’t make them rare or terribly valuable,” — Dustin Johnson, vice president of numismatics at Heritage Auctions,previously

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