Barber Half Dollar - Real Or Fake?

ExoGuy: No, barber is not attracted to a magnet.

Barbers are fun to collect but there are a lot of counterfeits. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the subtle obverse and reverse design changes implemented in 1900-1901 for dimes, quarters, and half dollars. Many of the fakes I've seen have the wrong type for the year they are supposed to be. In this case, your 1909 has the obverse of 1892-1900, which is impossible. After 1900, there is a distinct vertical rib of cartilage in the ear, which this 1909 does not have. Some of the other problems with the coin others have mentioned sometimes are not so obvious especially in seller photos, but having the wrong design for the year usually stands out.

On the Barber Coin Collectors Society webpage under Education & Resources / Online References are links to all of the David Lawrence guidebooks, which have pages near the beginning devoted to major design/hub changes. The page for the half dollar is here: https://archive.org/details/compgui...n15/mode/1up