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Denver Gold and Silver Coins
600 South Holly Street Suite 103
Denver, Colorado 80246
Open Monday - Thursday from 9 am to 6 pm
Friday and Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm
Call
anytime - leave a message: 303-835-8892
- Dime 10 Cents
Barber (1892–1916)
Main article: United States Barber coinage
1902 Barber Dime
The Barber dime is named for its designer, Charles E. Barber, who
was Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint from 1879 to 1917. The design
was shared with the quarter and half-dollar of the same period.
Extensive internal politics surrounded the awarding of the design
job, which had initially been opened to the public. A four-member
committee (which included Barber), appointed by then-Mint Director
James Kimball, accorded only two of more than 300 submissions an
honorable mention. Kimball's successor, Edward O. Leech, decided to
dispense with the committees and public design competitions and
simply instructed Barber to develop a new design. It has been
speculated that this is what Barber had wanted all along.
The Barber dime, as with all previous dimes, featured an image of
Liberty on the obverse. She is wearing a Phrygian cap, a laurel wreath
with a ribbon, and a headband with the inscription "LIBERTY". This
inscription is one of the key elements used in determining the
condition of Barber dimes. Liberty's portrait was inspired by two
sources—French coins and medals of the period, as well as ancient
Greek and Roman sculpture. The obverse also contains the long-used
13 stars (for the 13 colonies) design element. The reverse contained
a wreath and inscription almost identical to the one used on the
final design of the Seated Liberty dime.
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