Could someone explain why the 1916S Barber dime is worth less (per the red book) than the 1916 or 1916S Mercury dime? There were just under 6 million Barber dimes made and 22+ million 1916 Mercury and almost 10.5 million 1916S Mercury dimes made. I am comparing the lower grades, one of my in-laws passed on a few old coins they "found" and the Barber dime is quite worn. Thanks!
Red Book prices are not considered by many as accurate. By the time the Red Book hits the shelves, the prices contained in it are outdated.
Sunshine, The answer to your question is supply and demand. Supply is certainly part of the equation but not the only part. In this case demand may be a bigger part of the equation than supply. In your example the supply of 1916-S Barber Dimes may be less than its Mercury Dime counterpart (assuming the survival rates are similar) but the demand for the Barber Dime is much less than for the Mercury Dime. There are many more Mercury Dime collectors than Barber Dime collectors and they need the 1916-S Mercury Dime to complete their sets. This higher demand for the 1916-S Mercury Dime results in a higher price. With fewer Barber Dime collectors there is less demand for the 1916-S Barber Dime and hence a lower price.
On the flip side, it seems like the barbers fetch a higher amount in the best grades than the mercuries. It seems like supply and demand work for and against both coins. Thanks for the response!!
