Numismatic

1894-O Barber Half Dollar Good

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Struck in 1894 at the historic New Orleans Mint, this fifty-cent piece represents a classic era of United States silver coinage. Composed of 90 percent silver, the coin contains 0.3575 troy ounces of precious metal. It displays the distinctive wear of a coin graded in Good condition, showing the honest circulation of a piece that passed through many hands in the late nineteenth century. Designed by Charles Barber, the obverse of the coin presents a profile of Lady Liberty. She is depicted wearing a Phrygian cap beneath a laurel wreath, surrounded by the stars of the original colonies and the national motto, which is partially legible in the surrounding fields. The year 1894 is anchored at the bottom of the design. The reverse features a heraldic eagle with its wings spread wide, protecting a shield across its chest. In its beak, the eagle holds a banner, while its talons grasp both an olive branch and a bundle of arrows, representing peace and readiness. The inscription denoting the United States of America and the half-dollar denomination frames this powerful symbol.