1894-S Barber Dime Sells for $1.25 Million at Stack's Bowers Galleries
At a Stack's Bowers Galleries auction on September 1, an 1894-S Barber dime, which holds the fourth position in the 100 Greatest U.S. Coins, fetched $1.25 million. Minted in San Francisco, only 24 were produced, resulting in a net mintage of 21. The production of dimes was interrupted for almost six months due to the Panic of 1893, leaving just nine known surviving examples. Since 2005, five of these dimes have been sold for prices ranging from $1.3 million to $2.16 million. Q. David Bowers acquired this particular dime for $4,750 in November 1957 and later sold it for $6,000. It has been auctioned four times, all through Stack's Bowers Galleries, and was part of Charles Litman's collection this year.
Key facts
- The 1894-S Barber dime sold for $1.25 million at a Stack's Bowers Galleries auction on September 1.
- Only 24 examples were minted in San Francisco in June 1894, with three reserved for assay, leaving 21 for circulation.
- The Panic of 1893 caused a sharp decline in demand for newly minted coins, leading the San Francisco Mint to halt dime production for nearly half the year.
- Experts know of only nine surviving examples of the 1894-S Barber dime.
- Before this sale, five 1894-S Barber dimes had been offered for purchase since 2005, selling for $1.3 million to $2.16 million.
- Q. David Bowers purchased the dime in November 1957 for $4,750 when he was 19, a price he later called 'seemingly ridiculous.'
- The coin has appeared at only four auctions, all conducted by Stack's Bowers Galleries.
- This year's sale came from the collection of Charles Litman.
Entities
Artists
- Charles E. Barber
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Q. David Bowers
- Jim Ruddy
- Emery Mae Norweb
- Charles Litman
- Sarah Kuta
- Dave Bowers
Institutions
- Stack's Bowers Galleries
- United States Mint
- San Francisco Mint
- Penn State
- NBC
- Coin World
- Today show
Locations
- San Francisco
- United States
- New York
- Longmont
- Colorado