Best Of

I remember doing a Christmas Eve post a couple years ago about a lovely 1942 Proof Quarter that I had bought, and I figured that this year it would be fun to do something similar but still distinctly different. As such, I feel that this would be a good way to do it. The below will read similar to an auction catalog, but hopefully with a tad more information than is generally present in a short description. I've only chosen a few of the best of Eldo's coins, but this should give a good idea of what an incredible assemblage of coins he has managed to assemble.

And most importantly - Merry Christmas!

I give you - Selections From The Eldorado Collection - Barber Half Dollars

A Beautifully Toned 1892 Proof Half Dollar


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A wonderful PR67+CAM example of the 1892 Barber half, this coin shows incredible color and contrast. Ex. Simpson, this coin really does "have it all". Minor hairlines are present on the obverse, but the sheer eye appeal overwhelms them. Deep purples and greens meld with oranges and reds to produce a wonderful canvas of color, rivaled by only the best of Barber Proofs. The strike is strong, but this example does show some slight weakness in the right wing. PCGS pop of 4/0 finer.

1892 proved to be a repeat of several other induction years for new coin designs, with collectors flocking to the Mint for examples of the Barber half dollar. Proofs could be purchased at a small premium over face value at quantities specified by the collector, and it was an easy way to obtain a high quality example of the design for collections. The mintage reflects this, with a series high 1,245 examples being struck. Quality for the 1892 Proof half is generally decent, but not exceptional. Mirrors often lacked depth and the Mint appears to have struggled with attaining a full strike, especially on the reverse right wing. Additionally, the Mint appears to have overlooked a slight doubling on the reverse for a large portion if not all of the Proof strikings. This is most easily noted on the left period separating UNITED from HALF on the reverse. Quality for Proof halves would generally peak in 1898, and decrease for the series after that point. Contrast for 1892 halves in Proof is not uncommon, but Superb Gems with CAM or DCAM surfaces are rare. This is a popular type coin, but like all high grade Proof Barber halves it is not easy to obtain in the upper ends of the grading scale.

Provenance - Simpson-Eldorado

A Stunning MS67 CAC 1905-O Rarity


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Boom! Incredible luster and color hits you in the face when viewing this incredible MS67 CAC example. Graded both in OGH and a modern PCGS holder as 67, this coin remains one of the finest examples for the date. Rarely seen luster mixes with reds, greens, and blues on the obverse, and light russet and purples shine on the reverse. Very few marks are present, and the strike is exceptional for the date. Light pull away tone can be seen on the obverse and reverse periphery.

This PCGS pop 3/2 1905-O is a gorgeous example of the New Orleans production for 1905. 505,000 half dollars were struck at that facility, and that figure is among the lowest for any mint marked Barber half dollar. Luster and strike are generally poor for the 1905-O, making finding any attractive example a challenge. In grades above MS64, this date becomes a challenge and it is especially tough to find in high grade with attractive eye appeal. The present example delivers on all fronts, and is among the most attractive examples for the date. A superb gem example of this date is a major milestone for any collection to achieve.

Provenance - Hugon-BryceM-Eldorado

Sole Finest 1907 Half



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Incredible. There is only one word that can be used to describe this unicorn of a 1907 - no other coin even comes close to the quality of this coin, with PCGS reporting MS66+ as the next closest grade. This MS67+ CAC shows what a truly gorgeous Barber Half dollar looks like. No major marks to speak of are present, and incredible original toning graces both sides of the coin. Rainbow colors are found prominently on the reverse, and the eye appeal is simply off the charts. The strike is strong and presents the design beautifully.

A storied coin, this is the famous coin that Dr. Shireman's wife won for him by a cut bid. As quoted from Heritage auctions:
"This coin was saved by a collector active in the 1930s and 1940s who saved coins in paper envelopes. A former judge in the Pacific Northwest, he did not build complete collections, but found nice coins and put them away. This 1907 half was later graded and then consigned to the 2004 FUN auction. This story helps illustrate how seemingly random it was for most individual Barber half dollars to make it from the late 1890s and early 1900s to today in gem or better condition. A coin has to beat all odds to make it that long without damage, and to maintain good eye appeal."

Dr. Shireman explained "his" bidding strategy:

"This was the one coin I really wanted from Dr. Duckor's set. The bidding for this coin at the Heritage 2010 ANA auction in Boston was going past where I was really comfortable, but my wife, sitting next to me and attending her first ever coin auction, asked me if I wanted the coin. I muttered and nodded my head ever so slightly; she grabbed the paddle from my hand, put it up, and voila, it was ours. Not just a bid, but a cut-bid. She caught on fast! Others watching found this mini-drama quite amusing."

The provenance to a judge in the Pacific Northwest could not be confirmed, but there appears to be no reason to doubt it. It explains the single existence of a wonderfully high grade example, and the tone is consistent with long term storage in a paper envelope. This coin remains one of the finest Barber half dollars in existence, and its eye appeal is incredible. 1907 was a condition rarity year for Barber halves, and this status continues for several of the later date Barber issues. Superb gem examples are effectively limited to this example, and it is without a doubt the finest known 1907.

Provenance - Duckor-Shireman-Eldorado

Incredible Pairing of Two Scarce Barber Dates

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The 1907-S and 1908-S dates are generally considered to be more difficult dates in the Barber series. However, this rarity becomes extremely pronounced in the higher echelons of the grading scale, with superb gems being nearly impossible to locate. To have one of these two dates in a gem grade is an accomplishment, but having both dates in MS67 is a feat that only the best Barber collections can hope to achieve. The storied Eliasberg collection once held both of these coins, and they remain in the OGH holders with that provenance displayed. Both of these coins were likely originally sourced directly from the Mint by Clapp, although this could not be confirmed.
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The 1907-S is a stunning MS67 CAC example, pedigreed to the Eliasberg collection. This coin is bested only by the Akers/Duckor MS67+, which likely now resides in a CACG holder. This particular example is the only MS67 stickered at CAC, but what truly sets this piece apart is its technical quality. A light russet tone characteristic of the Eliasberg coins is accented by splashes of color near the rim, and a slight tone pull-away near the date practically screams of this coin's originality. No major marks are noted, and only a few minor scuffs and spots appear in hidden areas. The strike is nearly flawless. The April 1997 sale of the Eliasberg collection noted that this coin could possibly be the finest known for the date. This particular coin is condition census #2.

1907 proved to be a decent year for Barber half dollars, with a mintage of 1.25 million pieces at San Fransisco. While not exceptionally high, this mintage was also not exceptionally low. The San Francisco Mint appeared to still be recovering from the 1906 earthquake, which likely contributed to a somewhat average mintage of half dollars. The Philadelphia, Denver, and New Orleans Mints picked up the slack, producing an additional 10.4 million half dollars for the year. What makes this date exceptional is that very few coins were evidently saved, forcing this date into a low overall condition - nearly all of these coins are concentrated near the VF grade. In MS, they start to become truly rare, and in superb gem they are almost unheard of.

Provenance - Eliasberg - Larry H. Miller - Eldorado Collection

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The present MS67 CAC example exhibits slightly stronger tone than the 1907-S, but that is a net positive as the color is more pronounced and attractive. There are very few if any marks present, and only minor spots are buried in the design. A strong strike and brilliant luster show through, and overall this is an incredible example of the date. CAC reports one stickered 1908-S, this coin. NGC reports a lone MS67, and PCGS reports two. In the Eliasberg sale from April 1997 (Bowers and Merena), this coin was described as a Gem MS65, and was noted to be far finer than what is usually encountered. This coin is condition census #1.

The 1908-S is in the same rarified air as the 1907-S. The San Fransisco mint struck 1.764 million halves in 1908, and again very few were saved. This date/mintmark pair quickly thins out in the population reports around MS65. Quality of 1908-S halves is generally very good, with some characteristic weakness in the upper right shield and feathers.

Provenance -Possibly Clapp-Eliasberg -Larry H. Miller-Eldorado
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I hope you all enjoyed that trip through some numismatic rarities as much as I did. It is an incredible accomplishment to be able to assemble such an amazing selection of Barber half dollars, and this is only a very small portion of what makes the Eldorado collection so incredible. As time goes on, I will likely add more coins to this thread, and I'm sure that @Eldorado9 himself will be sure to make a few comments on his sets.

@Namvet69 said:
The spirit of whatever the heck it is, lives inside of me. Peace and health to us all. Roy

Are you sure it's not a tapeworm? 🤔

South Shore, O'ahu.

Having a network of friends is a blessing and also to expand one's reach! My buddy @Leeroybrown turned me on to this MS62 CAC scarce coin for which I'm extremely thankful:

Another auction win was a AU55 CAC coin that really charmed me, especially the reverse toning!

And here's a AU58 coin I saw at the Whitman Baltimore show from a dealer. The colors are distinctive and I knew it had likely failed CAC review previously. However, I liked it anyway, it is eye grabbing, and it is a tough date. I submitted to JA so I could learn why and he stated it was lightly cleaned underneath the toning.

More to follow.

@Goldminers said:

@NJCoin said:

@HalfDime said:

@NJCoin said:
It means there was actually a hidden, lower limit that was not disclosed until after the fact. Period.

There is a big difference between a mint product that is released early in the year like in January and one released in Oct, Nov.. The mint is quite busy at the end of the year producing coins for the next product year (that's why they can release them early in January). Also, when we go to Walmart, we don't have Walmart calling us to say how many more boxes they have of cereal if we don't buy it that day, or when they will get anymore in. The mint is the same. I thought the limits they had were too high on the flowing hair products, and am glad they struck less. They may have read these message boards to gauge demand. I doubt they are worried over a few unhappy campers.

If you say so. They control when they release product. They release Limited Edition Silver Proof Sets at the end of every year, and always make the full authorized Product Limit available for purchase. Even though they have not sold out for the past few years.

If they're busy in November and December producing product for release in the next year, what makes you think they are not busy in the summer and early fall producing product for release in the late fall and early winter? Whatever drove their decision with respect to what they did with the two FH products, I PROMISE you, it was not driven by production constraints regarding an inability to bang out an additional 25K medals and 7.5K coins.

I do agree with you that they don't worry "over a few unhappy campers." I sincerely hope you do not join their ranks if the missing medals and coins make a future appearance in another product. Because I think that is a distinct possibility, as opposed to their leaving money on the table to support the secondary market, and not reducing Mintage Limits to reflect that decision.

Since you know so much about mintage limits and the modern coin market, I suggest you apply for a job at the Mint and explain to them how they should do their job. The American public could all benefit from your obvious expertise.

Thanks for the helpful suggestion. I could also not waste my time, and just spend my discretionary dollars elsewhere if I am unhappy with how they are making decisions. I'll be sure to get back to you when I decide which way to go.

And let's wrap up with these two, both from Fortin:

MS62CAC (tough to photograph plus slab scratch)

MS63 CAC

Thanks for reading my thread. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

I recently purchased the pictured coin. The position of the Large O mint mark does not match any of the others used that year (in the V-1, V-3, V-6 and V-7 marriages). It is very low and to the right. In @yosclimber 's draft guide for the issue (almost 6 years old), the V-2, V-3, V-4 and V-5 all used the same obverse die. The obverse of my new coin (let's call it V-9 for now) looks about the same. But I noticed in it a die line in the drapery, almost parallel to the pole. This die line also appears in my VG V-5 and in the NGC MS 62 V-5 from the Crain collection (#1724), and not in coins of the other three marriages. If the V-5 and V-9 used the same obverse die as V-2, V-3 and V-4, then they would have to be later uses. But those V-5 and V-9 coins do not have cracks seen in those other marriages. Thus, the V-5 and V-9 must have used a similar but different obverse than V-2, V-3, and V-4.

Edited to add: Note also in the V-9 reverse the crack at UNIT tops and in places in the denticles.

V-9

1848-O Large O Reverse Dies:

V-1 reverse

V-3 reverse

V-6 reverse

V-7 reverse (same as that of V-3)

A couple 1848-O Obverse Dies for comparison:

V-4 Obverse - no die line in drapery

V-5 Obverse (Crain #1724) - die line in drapery

Hey Clint, please don't tell me that you and/or Frank already knew about this...

• Alan

If you read my 2023 recap, you'll might remember I'm building a seated half series set.

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1099070/the-year-of-the-cat-seated-halves-added-in-2023

I made good progress this year and I can say that it was mostly successful in that I have few regrets from the coins I acquired. Availability of coins in the look and quality I desire continued to be limited but also my budget was redirected several times as I simultaneously pursued building my OGH CAC Indian Quarter Eagle set when surprisingly several right pieces became available.

This year also marked my qualification for the LSCC Seated Half Society membership. Perhaps not as august and stringent as membership in the Bust Half Nut Club, it nonetheless was a collector achievement milestone for me. I know I won't be able to collect the entire 113 dates/mint marks/varieties registry slots so it is good to have journey rest stops along the way!

This year was also my 17th year being a forum member and I am grateful to be able to enjoy your posts and find camaraderie in celebrating this wonderful hobby! I visit nearly every day. Thank you for engaging with me and also tolerating my occasional orneriness.

Now, on with the coin pics!