1902 Dime Value: Barber, Silver, and Mercury Dime Explained

Overview of the 1902 US Dime

The 1902 item from the Barber series, which the U.S. Mint issued from 1892 to 1916. This designer is Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber. Liberty stares to the right, her head adorned with a Phrygian cap and a laurel wreath. Turn the item over, and you’ll spot a wreath blending corn, wheat, maple, and oak leaves.

Item ID

The 1902 item belongs to the Barber series.

Period	1892–1916
Diameter	17.9 mm
Weight	2.5 g
Edge	Reeded
Composition	Silver
Designer	Charles E. Barber

Attention: Three mints exist: Philadelphia, San Francisco, and New Orleans.

The Difference: Barber or Mercury

The Mercury item is the series that replaced the Barber items, but it did not start until 1916, designed by Adolph A. Weinman. It features Liberty facing left, wearing a winged cap (which people mistook for the god Mercury). The 1902 Mercury dime value does not exist.

1902 Barber Dime and Silver Content

For collectors and investors, here’s a key detail: every 1902 silver dime is struck with a precise silver content. The composition? 90 % silver, 10 % copper.

And don’t overlook this: each dime packs 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver. That bullion weight sets a solid floor for the value, no matter what else happens in the market.

The daily spot price of silver directly impacts this base value. When you assess a 1902 dime worth, you must first consider this melt value. For a heavily worn or damaged item, the silver content often constitutes its primary worth.

This intrinsic value protects the item from falling below a specific monetary threshold, regardless of its collectible status.

How Much Is a 1902 Dime Worth Today

Professional grading services, for example, PCGS or NGC, define a condition on a numeric scale. The mint mark identifies the origin and directly influences its rarity.

Mint	Mark	Mintage
Philadelphia	No Mint Mark	21,380,777
The New Orleans	O	4,500,000
San Francisco	S	2,070,000

The O and S mintages were lower, which makes those coins more valuable in equivalent grades.

The Price: Actual Guide

The 1902 dime value today depends on three objective factors:

Condition (grade)
Mint mark
Appeal

The following table provides a clear value guide for the 1902 Barber dime value in different conditions.

Mint	Good	Fine	Extremely Fine	Uncirculated
P	$4	$6	$25	$75
O	$4	$15	$65	$150
S	$9	$55	$140	$200

For serious collectors in January 2026, a spotless, uncirculated 1902 O Barber dime value can fetch $14,000 on the open market – a testament to its rarity and condition.

Errors

Misplaced Date (in denticles)

The top of a 0 is seen at the top of the denticles below the 0.

Repunched Date: Repunched 2 seen above the 2.

Misplaced Date (in denticles)

The top of a 0 is seen at the top of the denticles below the 0.

Location in denticles: 0 0 1.

The value gap of both errors is VF 20–MS(63) 180.

Moreover, the 1902 dime with V on back legend exists. The reason people often get confused about the "V" on the back of Barber's coins is because of a famous scandal from 1883 (the first year of the V Nickel items).

“Liberty Seated coinage has a higher collector interest than the Barber series; therefore they might command a higher premium for a die variety which is similar.”
– Unnamed opinion piece “Barber Dime Doubled Dies”
Heritage Auctions

Auction Records

Philadelphia

The highest recorded price for this coin is $5,875, paid for a specimen graded MS-67 at a Legend Auctions sale in December 2014. Standard MS-64 examples usually sell in the range of $250 to $330.

New Orleans

A rare MS-67 specimen holds the record at $12,650, sold by Heritage Auctions in August 2007.

A slightly lower grade MS-64+ with a CAC green sticker fetched $1,560 in January 2025.

San Francisco

An exceptional MS-67 specimen set the record at $21,150 in January 2019 at Heritage Auctions. A VF-20 example recently sold for between $86 and $115.

Philadelphia Proof Strike: Proofs were specially made for collectors, with only 777 produced in total. A stunning PR-67+ specimen sold for $17,250 in April 2008. More common, lower-grade proofs like a PR-63 recently sold for $456 at Stack's Bowers in August 2023.

Professional Caring

Do Not Clean It – even gentle rubbing with a cloth or using "safe" home remedies like baking soda, vinegar, or toothpaste creates micro-scratches (hairlines) that are visible under a magnifying glass.

Collectors actually prefer patina (the natural darkening or toning that occurs over 120+ years). A "shiny" coin that has been scrubbed is often worth only its silver weight, whereas an uncleaned coin can carry a massive collector premium.

Always pick up the coin by its edges between your thumb and forefinger. Never touch the "faces" (the front or back surfaces).

Gloves – use powder-free nitrile gloves or clean cotton gloves.

Control the Environment (keep it dry) – silver reacts to sulfur and humidity. Store your coins in a cool, dry place. A home office is better than a basement or attic, where humidity fluctuates.

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