1898 Barber Dime

Being one of the newer Barber Dimes produced, the 1898 edition is not nearly as scarce as some of its earlier counterparts. With that being said, collectors who are constantly on the hunt for coins in pristine condition will find that uncovering a well-preserved 1898 Barber Dime is not such a simple task.

Despite being well over 100 years old, the 1898 Barber Dime is one edition that saw a lot of coins survive the years. Because they were very heavily circulated, however, the condition of the piece is never a guarantee.

Grading the 1898 Barber Dime

For collectors, only coins in excellent condition will sell for high prices. This is why when a collector is given the chance to get their hands on a coin like the 1898 Barber Dime, they will most often pay close attention to the condition it is in. Naturally, because of how useful these coins were when they were produced, most have incurred a good bit of damage.

Normally, the process of judging the condition of a coin is known as grading and is done by a professional company. Understanding that not everyone has the time and money to send their coin away for grading, we have provided specifications below that will give you a better idea of what characteristics apply to coins of a specific grade.

Uncirculated: A 1898 Barber Dime that has been graded as being Uncirculated is one that never exchanged hands on the open market. Instead, these coins were almost immediately preserved as soon as they were produced. You will find that even under close inspection these coins show absolutely no signs of wear or damage whatsoever.

Extremely Fine: A coin that is graded to be in this condition is one that spent only a very limited amount of time in circulation. Because of the limited nature of this coin’s time on the open exchange market, the damage incurred is extremely light in nature. Only under close inspection will you be able to see the light scratching on the coin’s faces.

Fine: If a Barber Dime is graded to be Fine, the coin will have had to been circulated for a good bit of time. During this time, the coin will have incurred a good bit of noticeable damage, but not so much damage that the coin’s inscriptions or images have been compromised. All in all, the condition of coins given this grade is average.

Good: A coin that is graded as being Good was heavily circulated and incurred a lot of damage during the process. These coins will be complete with heavy scratching, chipping, and other blemishes. These are the most affordable, but they are not necessarily the most attractive additions to a collection.

Pricing the 1898 Barber Dime

For coins that are from the 19th century, the most effective way of determining price is by assessing the coin’s condition. For Barber Dime, because there were multiple types of the Dime minted every year, the type also plays a role in determining price. By way of the chart below you can gain a good idea of what you will pay for a Barber Dime that is graded.

Barber Dimes

Source: Red Book

DATE	GOOD	FINE	EXTREMELY FINE	UNCIRCULATED
1898 Barber Dime	$4	$8	$26	$75
1898 Barber Dime (O)	$12	$85	$190	$280
1898 Barber Dime (S)	$8	$32	$80	$150