1915 Barber Half Dollar
When this article was originally published, Atlanta Gold & Coin regularly received phone calls and emails from prospective customers interested in selling older coins. A frequent belief was that age alone made those coins valuable. Atlanta Gold & Coin had previously covered the factors that affect a coin’s value, and this article examined 100-year-old coins to consider their demand and value at publication. Although selecting a century was somewhat arbitrary, coins made 100 years earlier were plainly old, which was why coins from 1915 were chosen. The discussion was limited to copper, nickel, and silver coins, because gold coins, regardless of their production year, were clearly quite valuable. With that context established, the original article listed century-old coins, the collector interest reported at publication, and estimated values.
1915 Pennies
The Denver, San Francisco, and Philadelphia Mints each struck pennies in 1915. Philadelphia and Denver produced more than 20 million Lincoln cents, making them common-date issues. They were the sort of coins one could expect to find in $100 face-value bags of “teen” pennies, so their value was relatively modest. Not every mint in 1915 reached eight-figure production, however. The San Francisco Mint made about 4.1 million coins. That is still a meaningful quantity, particularly beside many key dates, but it was considered a lower-mintage, or semi-key-date, coin. At the time of publication, the most recent greysheet valued a 1915 San Francisco penny at $14, a notable amount. It was not necessarily in especially strong demand, but it was sometimes absent from penny albums and collectors needed to purchase it to complete a set.
1915 Nickels
Atlanta Gold & Coin had heard several names for nickels produced in 1915, including “Liberty nickels,” “Indian nickels,” and “Native American nickels,”. The industry term most commonly used for them was “Buffalo nickels.” As with the pennies, Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco all made nickels in 1915. Philadelphia’s mintage exceeded 20 million coins, while Denver and San Francisco produced considerably fewer. Denver struck approximately 7.5 million nickels in 1915; at the time of publication, Greysheet valued examples in good condition at $15.50. The original article then noted its first higher-priced example: good-condition 1915 San Francisco nickels reached $40. Up to this point, San Francisco issues had the lowest mintages and the highest values. The next sections considered whether that same pattern continued with dimes, quarters, and half dollars.
1915 Dimes
Dimes struck in 1915 were often called “Liberty” or “Barber” dimes, though “Barber” was the industry’s most common name. They took their name from Charles E. Barber, the chief engraver who designed them. In contrast with the pennies and nickels already discussed, only Denver and San Francisco produced dimes in 1915. San Francisco was indeed the lower-production mint. Although Denver and San Francisco mintages were only 5.6 million and 960,000, respectively, the original article reported both coins valued at $5 or less in good condition. This comparison showed that a comparatively low mintage does not always produce a high dollar value.
1915 Quarters
Like the dimes, 1915 quarters were designed by Charles E. Barber and were known as “Barber” coins. All three mints struck quarters in 1915. San Francisco produced roughly 700,000 coins, whereas Philadelphia and Denver each made around 3.5 million coins. For practical purposes, Philadelphia- and Denver-minted quarters were common-date coins and, at publication, could be obtained in good condition for a small premium over the melt value of the coins. The San Francisco quarter from 1915 had the lowest mintage evaluated to that stage and was valued at approximately $22 in good condition. Barber quarters generally showed substantial wear, so higher-grade examples could reach into three figures.
1915 Half Dollars
Charles E. Barber’s influence also extended to the half dollar: 1915 Barber half dollars were called “Barber” half dollars, or simply halves. Each of the three mints made half dollars in 1915, but, unlike the other denominations covered, Philadelphia was the low-production mint in 1915. Philadelphia produced only 138,000 half dollars in 1915. This was the lowest-mintage coin among those highlighted so far and, unsurprisingly, also the most valuable. At the time of publication, 1915-P Barber halves in good condition were valued at just under $70. Higher-end pieces, including uncirculated examples, could reach $1,000 or more.
Summary
In closing, the article evaluated the 1915 coins made for general circulation, excluding gold issues, and found that some century-old coins had meaningful value while others were fairly ordinary. In general, San Francisco coins had lower mintages and consequently higher values. The half dollars broke that pattern, because Philadelphia produced only 138,000 half dollars in 1915. The lesson was that age alone did not make every old coin valuable, although a worthwhile portion did carry value. At publication, collectors might have been interested in building a 100-year-old coin set; the original article stated that one could be assembled for under $200.
