1893-S Barber Half Dollar. MS-65 (PCGS).Virtually untoned surfaces allow ready appreciation of a pronounced semi-prooflike finish from the dies. The fields are nicely mirrored, their reflectivity forming a splendid backdrop to satiny design elements. The strike is sharp to full throughout and well above average for a circulation strike half dollar of this type. Attractive in all regards, a touch of pale sandy-silver iridescence is not readily evident at all viewing angles. The San Francisco Mint produced 740,000 half dollars in 1893, the second year of the Barber series. This is a limited total by the standards of the type, strong commercial demand claiming most of these coins. Writing in the 2019 edition of his <em>Guide Book of Barber Silver Coins</em> for Whitman, Q. David Bowers comment about high grade examples from this era is brief and to the point: "With only a few exceptions, Barber half dollars of the 1890s are very difficult to find in gem preservation." Indeed, this 1893-S is in very select company at the PCGS MS-65 level, and it is the kind of coin that would serve as a highlight in any advanced cabinet.
