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The San Francisco Mint was established during the historical California gold rushes and helped prospectors turn their freshly mined gold into money. The San Francisco Mint is also known for its highly efficient quality control and strong strikes on its coins. For this reason, collectors are prone to investing in lower conditions of the "S" minted coins, since they appear in better condition than other mint-marks. The 1893-S Barber Half Dollar contains a mintage of only 740,000! Considered to be in about good condition, the 1893-S Barber Half Dollar exhibits severe wear on both sides of the coin, with lack of detail concerning the main images. The 1893-S was minted in San Francisco, and carries the infamous "S" mint-mark.
The Chief Engraver position, at the US Mint is one any engraver covets. Not only is there power in decisions, but if you're lucky, you could have a major coin series named after you. The Barber design was named after the US Mint's Chief Engraver, William Barber. The coins were in circulation from 1892-1916, but the half dollar wasn't minted the last couple of years before the series ended. William Barber would also work over George T. Morgan, the Morgan's designer, as the Barber coinage was minted. Barber used the Head of Liberty to grace the obverse of the Barber coin series. Liberty's look is inspired by a Grecian Goddess and she wears an Acanthus leaf cap as a crown. "United States of America," and the coin's mint date are also simply stamped on the obverse of the Barber Half Dollar. The reverse contains the nation's official seal, which is of a heraldic eagle holding a shield. Each of the eagle's talons are grasping a symbolic gesture: olive branches and arrows. This design is still used on modern day coinage and represents the strength of the nation, while understanding the price that needs to be paid for freedom.