COSTA MESA, California: A rare 1894-S Barber dime valued at about USD 1.5 million is heading to auction on September 1, with bidding expected to start at USD 1 million.
Stack’s Bowers Galleries will offer the coin as Lot 2056 during its Summer 2026 Global Showcase Rarities Night. The live session starts at noon PDT on September 1.
Only 24 examples of the 1894-S dime were struck at the San Francisco Mint. Stack’s Bowers estimates that nine examples survive today, making it one of the best-known rarities in US coin collecting.
The coin features Charles E. Barber’s Liberty design and carries an “S” mintmark on the reverse. Stack’s Bowers says the example entering Tuesday’s auction previously belonged to collector Charles “Cheech” Litman.
Its history also includes prominent numismatist Q. David Bowers. Stack’s Bowers said Bowers bought the same dime for USD 4,750 in 1957, when he was 19 and later sold it for USD 6,000.
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Recent auction results show how strongly collectors value the issue. Heritage Auctions sold another 1894-S Barber dime for USD 2.16 million on January 15, 2025. The same auction house recorded sales of USD 1.9975 million in 2016 and USD 1.5 million in 2020.
Collectors checking old coins should look for both the 1894 date and the San Francisco “S” mintmark. However, those markings alone do not establish a million-dollar value; authenticity, condition and provenance determine auction value.
