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How to Buy Barber Head Dimes

The Barber dime, also known as the Liberty Head dime, was produced in the United States from 1892 to 1916. The coin was designed by U.S. Mint engraver Charles E. Barber and features a Liberty's head wearing a cap encircled by a laurel leaf. While the series has one extremely rare coin, the 1894-S, of which there are only nine known to exist, the rest of the dimes are sought after by and available to the average collector. Learning about the coins and how to grade them can help you learn the best way to buy Barber dimes.

Instructions

- 1
  Educate yourself with collector guides. Before buying any collectible, you need to educate yourself. Use collectors' guidebooks on Barber dimes to learn what to look for when buying. Some examples of books on these coins include "Collecting &Investing Strategies for Barber Dimes" by Jeff Ambio, "United States Dimes, Quarters, and Half Dollars: An Action Guide for the Collector and Investor" by Q. David Bowers, and "The Complete Guide to Barber Dimes" by David Lawrence.
- 2
  Learn how to grade coins. Much of the value of a coin lies in its grade. Coins with a higher grade fetch a higher price. Collectors use a grading system developed by Dr. William Shelby. The scale ranges from the perfect state of Uncirculated or the Mint State to the lowest state called the Basal State. Use grading guidebooks to educate yourself by looking at coins that have different grades. Some examples of these types of guides include as "Grading Coins by Photographs" by Q. David Bowers and "Making The Grade: A Grading Guide to the Top 50 Most Widely Collected US Coins" by Beth Deisher.
- 3
  Decide where to shop. Going shopping for coins means deciding if you want to visit a store or do your buying on the Internet. If you have an established coin dealer in your area, it is good to start there, especially if you are a new coin buyer. There is nothing like being able to see a coin in person. If that option isn't available, there are many web-based options, the biggest of which is eBay.
- 4
  Decide how much to pay. Research the values of specific dates and conditions of Barber dimes before buying them. Value guidebooks go out of date quickly. The Internet is a better bet for finding current values. Go to a website such as the Professional Coin Grading Service Price Guide in order to look up recent coin prices.

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