Barber Half Dollar
By the increasing demand of new coin after the Seated Liberty design, Barber Half Dollar was introduced as the replacement. This type of coin had a half dollar, dime and quarter in its coinage system. With the many innovations in the overall era, there was more demand of new coins. The name of this type of coin was derived from the name of its engraver. New quarters and the half dollars were scarcely struck at all amid the 1880s, on the grounds that the central government had all that could possibly be needed more seasoned coins (some going back to the late 1840s) buried in its vaults to fulfill the open request. The fragmentary silver coins were long past due for a facelift. All had conveyed the Seated Liberty representation for the greater part a century, and keeping in mind that it’s valid that life was all the more lackadaisical in those days, the pace of progress, for this situation, was out and out cold.
This context could prove to be a very fruitful try and could bring a greater good to the coinage system but before the completion of the project for this type of project, all the artist agreed that they would not complete the project and they insisted that their terms and conditions should be fulfilled otherwise they will not work on this project. They had some demands and they also demanded they should be paid $100 for each sketch that they have submitted for the contest and they should also receive $500 for the models that they have completed. The department of treasury did not agree upon this proposal and their demands were rejected and the department declared that anyone can submit his design. They received up to 300 entries for the sketches but none of them was so satisfying that they could use that for this type of coin.
Treasury was very disappointed by the public entries for the coin and Chief Engraver Barber had some impressive designs and he was declared as the winner of this coin sketch contest. So Mint decided to hire Barber to design this type of coin. The designer’s name was used as name for this type of coin. The letter B at the neck was for the name of designer. On other coins like quarter and half dollar, the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was put above the portrait.
A common design was shared by the two coins. The eagle had a shield on its breast and some arrows and clutched branch in its both talons. All coins of this type of coin were introduced to the coinage system in 1892 and they proved to be steady career holder in the national coinage system.
Barber half dollars were in the coinage system for almost 24 years. If we look back in 1900, a man’s shirt could be bought with a half dollar. Barber half dollars were considered as bigger amount of money in those days.