Numismatic

1898 Barber Half Dollar VG

---

The year 1898 saw the production of a classic United States silver half dollar, a fifty-cent piece that captures the artistic transition of late nineteenth-century American coinage. Struck in 90 percent silver, this coin carries a precious metal weight of approximately 0.3617 ounces. It belongs to the celebrated Barber series, named after its creator, Charles Barber, who designed both the obverse and reverse faces of the coin. On the obverse, Lady Liberty is depicted in profile, wearing a traditional Phrygian cap and a laurel wreath. A headband across her brow bears the inscription LIBERTY, while the motto IN GOD WE TRUST appears above her. The year 1898 is anchored at the bottom of the design. This portrait offers a dignified representation of American ideals at the turn of the century. The reverse side presents a heraldic eagle with its wings fully spread, protecting a shield positioned on its chest. In its beak, the eagle grasps a banner, while its talons hold a symbolic olive branch alongside a cluster of arrows. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA wraps around the upper rim, and the denomination HALF DOLLAR is inscribed below, completing a powerful national emblem.