Numismatic

1899 Barber Half Dollar AU

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In 1899, the United States Mint in Philadelphia produced a half dollar that captures the aesthetic of late nineteenth-century American coinage. This silver piece, struck with a purity of 90 percent, contains 0.3575 troy ounces of precious metal. It represents the distinctive design era of Charles Barber, whose artistic vision defined the look of multiple denominations during this period. The obverse presents a profile of Lady Liberty, who wears a laurel wreath atop a Phrygian cap. The word LIBERTY is visible on her headband, flanked by the national motto IN GOD WE TRUST. On the reverse, a majestic eagle spreads its wings, shielding its chest with a heraldic escutcheon. In its beak, the eagle holds a ribbon inscribed with E PLURIBUS UNUM, while its talons grasp both an olive branch and a collection of arrows, representing the dual themes of peace and readiness.