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If you could go back in time to 1921...

relicsncoinsrelicsncoins Posts: 7,860 ✭✭✭✭✭

And pluck a 1901 Barber half out of circulation, a coin that had been in commerce for 20 years. A coin that was carried in wallets, purses, placed in cash registers and dropped on the ground. A coin that was used for what it was intended to be used for. If you brought that coin back to 2021 and submitted it for grading, would it bag for cleaning? Those that carry pocket pieces might have some insight into this.

Need a Barber Half with ANACS photo certificate. If you have one for sale please PM me. Current Ebay auctions

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    olympicsosolympicsos Posts: 698 ✭✭✭✭

    I probably wouldn't be so lucky to have the money for this, but purchase as many matte proofs as possible and purchase as many 1907 High Reliefs as possible.

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    logger7logger7 Posts: 8,094 ✭✭✭✭✭

    You could probably wear any coin down to pass muster with grading. Unless a coin was intentionally cleaned or abused, it should straight grade.

    If you went back to 1921, it would be up at dawn or before and work, work work, unless you were part of the leisure class. "New thought" promoters were the fashion with the pandemic in the rear view mirror.

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    BillJonesBillJones Posts: 33,486 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Since the useful life of an activity circulating coin was thought to be 20 to 25 years at that time, the hypothetical coin would probably only grade G-VG. You might want to cut the time down to a decade.

    If you used a decade old coin, that had not been abused, chances are it would grade F-VF.

    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
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    rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I have no idea if people carried pocket pieces at that time... More likely a pocket knife. Coins were for commerce unless one was among the more fortunate. So the wear would more likely be due to handling and counter rub. Probably would not be rejected for cleaning since it would be the more obvious handling wear. Cheers, RickO

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    sellitstoresellitstore Posts: 2,494 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yes, it would grade VG8.

    Collector and dealer in obsolete currency. Always buying all obsolete bank notes and scrip.
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    markelman1125markelman1125 Posts: 1,771 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 7, 2021 10:00AM

    I would buy a bunch of 1907-1921 gold double eagles, burry them in an undisclosed location somewhere in the woods, and then teleport back into the future and dig them up. That my time travel get rich scheme.

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    lkeneficlkenefic Posts: 7,831 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I wonder what a roll of MS 1921 SLQs would go for these days...

    Collecting: Dansco 7070; Middle Date Large Cents (VF-AU); Box of 20;

    Successful BST transactions with: SilverEagles92; Ahrensdad; Smitty; GregHansen; Lablade; Mercury10c; copperflopper; whatsup; KISHU1; scrapman1077, crispy, canadanz, smallchange, robkool, Mission16, ranshdow, ibzman350, Fallguy, Collectorcoins, SurfinxHI, jwitten, Walkerguy21D, dsessom.
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    ColonelJessupColonelJessup Posts: 6,442 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 7, 2021 11:37AM

    .> @markelman1125 said:

    I would buy a bunch of 1907-1921 gold double eagles, burry them in an undisclosed location somewhere in the woods, and then teleport back into the future and dig them up. That my time travel get rich scheme.

    deja Saddle Ridge all over again - Yogi ? or Reverend Jim?

    "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - Geo. Orwell
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    3stars3stars Posts: 2,282 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @markelman1125 said:
    I would buy a bunch of 1907-1921 gold double eagles, burry them in an undisclosed location somewhere in the woods, and then teleport back into the future and dig them up. That my time travel get rich scheme.

    Sounds like the Saddle Ridge hoard. Hmm...

    Previous transactions: Wondercoin, goldman86, dmarks, Type2
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    markelman1125markelman1125 Posts: 1,771 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 7, 2021 11:41AM

    @3stars said:

    @markelman1125 said:
    I would buy a bunch of 1907-1921 gold double eagles, burry them in an undisclosed location somewhere in the woods, and then teleport back into the future and dig them up. That my time travel get rich scheme.

    Sounds like the Saddle Ridge hoard. Hmm...

    That’s exactly what I was thinking, do you think the couple who found it were time travelers. Maybe they put there hoard under the tree and then came back to the future to collect on there profit. LOL 😆

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    Schmitz7Schmitz7 Posts: 751 ✭✭✭

    You'd be better off buying land in California and selling it present-day for a fortune.

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    GRANDAMGRANDAM Posts: 8,376 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 7, 2021 2:31PM

    White Castle Hamburger’s was founded in 1921. I would buy stock.

    GrandAm :)
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    cladkingcladking Posts: 28,350 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Most coins in circulation will straight grade. About 40% of 1965 quarters in circulation will not because they have damage of various types including a few that look "cleaned" but mostly it's mechanical or environmental damage. I call these that won't grade "culls".

    In 1921 few 1901 half dollars would have enough damage not to grade. This is principally because they circulated quickly and wore out before they could accumulate much damage but it is also because the mint didn't mind recoining metal when they contained a lot of silver. Today's coins are essentially worthless so they don't want to accept them for recoining.

    In 1921 coins did not keep moving all the time like they do now. There were long periods of sitting and hectic trading for months or years. This is why barber coins run the gamut from Poor to XF; higher grade coins sat out a lot more. Of course half dollars sat out less than dimes. The few 1965 quarters left all look about alike in VG- because they wear like cast iron and none ever sit out longer than three or four years. 55% of the mintage is gone after 56 years. In 1921 more than 90% of the '01 halves were still circulating. Maybe more than 95%. Attrition was very low on coins that were quite valuable in day to day life.

    The barbers were removed from circulation over many years by worn coins being removed and by collectors. The ones collectors got will about 80% straight grade when they were removed but some have sustained damage since then. There are far more culls today even though it appears the FED has finally begun removing these.

    Tempus fugit.
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    YoloBagelsYoloBagels Posts: 151 ✭✭✭

    You would contract new diseases and probably die within a few days.

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    ColonelJessupColonelJessup Posts: 6,442 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @GRANDAM said:
    White Castle Hamburger’s was founded in 1921. I would buy stock.

    What year was Pepto-Bismol invented?

    "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - Geo. Orwell
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    GRANDAMGRANDAM Posts: 8,376 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ColonelJessup said:

    @GRANDAM said:
    White Castle Hamburger’s was founded in 1921. I would buy stock.

    What year was Pepto-Bismol invented?

    Immediately after White Castles,

    GrandAm :)
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    pointfivezeropointfivezero Posts: 1,638 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'd tell my Grandma to steer clear of my Grandpa. One year later, the kids started coming and they never stopped..

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    mvs7mvs7 Posts: 1,661 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @pointfivezero said:
    I'd tell my Grandma to steer clear of my Grandpa. One year later, the kids started coming and they never stopped..

    I think we need to have a conversation about paradoxes, while you still have time.

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    mvs7mvs7 Posts: 1,661 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Schmitz7 said:
    You'd be better off buying land in California and selling it present-day for a fortune.

    I agree, but while you are at it, nothing wrong with burying a bunch of gold coins on your newly acquired land. Just remember to dig them up in the present before you sub-divide the property and sell.

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    ColonelJessupColonelJessup Posts: 6,442 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Crap, I just stepped on a butterfly.....

    "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - Geo. Orwell
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    privatecoinprivatecoin Posts: 3,190 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I would never know in reference to the OP question, cause if I could go back that far I'd never come back.

    Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc

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    SilverEagle1974SilverEagle1974 Posts: 131 ✭✭✭
    edited May 7, 2021 8:19PM

    @YoloBagels said:
    You would contract new diseases and probably die within a few days.

    Oh, my. You would accidentally take back the CoVid-19 with you.

    This happening right after the World War 1 Spanish Flu pandemic.

    You would decimate the world's population in 1921.

    There was NO Gay 1920's atmosphere which inspired the arts. NO Picasso, NO Hemingway, NO Steinbeck.

    NO extra money to be spent in the Stock Market, which meant NO Black Thursday Crash.

    NO Great Depression.

    NO closing of the Banks.

    You'd come back to a world where there was NO World War 2.

    NO Pearl Harbor bombing.

    NO rise of Hitler or of a Nazi Regime.

    NO Holocaust.

    This leads many of the Jewish faith NOT to leave Europe to escape the evil of Hitler.
    This leads to NO migration of the Jewish faith into the US & push forth the entertainment business.

    NO Hollywood.

    NO Three Stooges, NO Marx Brothers, NO Mel Brooks (I love his movies), among many others.

    NO scientific advancements in plastics, communication or technology which resulted from World War 2.

    NO ARPANET, which means NO Internet.

    NO Televisions, Cellphones, Computers, and Video Games. NO Pac-Man.

    NO 1950's economic growth due to all the men & women coming back & going to college & starting families.

    NO Baby Boom.

    NO Sex Revolution.

    NO Women's Lib.

    NO Woodstock.

    NO USA-Russia struggle.

    NO Cold War.

    NO Space Race.

    NO Man on the Moon.

    NO spread of communism around the world.

    NO Korean or Vietnam Wars in the Pacific, among others.

    There would an overall malaise on the world.

    And, therefore, your journey to obtain a coin would result in a different time line.

    I believe in this new world there would be NO coin collecting.

    Just my two cents.

    Chris

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    ShaunBC5ShaunBC5 Posts: 1,636 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @SilverEagle1974 you’re exactly right about all the stuff that wouldn’t be...it would just be other notable things that awesome/horrible/amazing/terrible.

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    cladkingcladking Posts: 28,350 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @mvs7 said:

    @pointfivezero said:
    I'd tell my Grandma to steer clear of my Grandpa. One year later, the kids started coming and they never stopped..

    I think we need to have a conversation about paradoxes, while you still have time.

    With my luck he'd get my '01 half.

    Tempus fugit.
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    cladkingcladking Posts: 28,350 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @SilverEagle1974 said:

    @YoloBagels said:
    You would contract new diseases and probably die within a few days.

    Oh, my. You would accidentally take back the CoVid-19 with you.

    This happening right after the World War 1 Spanish Flu pandemic.

    You would decimate the world's population in 1921.

    There was NO Gay 1920's atmosphere which inspired the arts. NO Picasso, NO Hemingway, NO Steinbeck.

    NO extra money to be spent in the Stock Market, which meant NO Black Thursday Crash.

    NO Great Depression.

    NO closing of the Banks.

    You'd come back to a world where there was NO World War 2.

    NO Pearl Harbor bombing.

    NO rise of Hitler or of a Nazi Regime.

    NO Holocaust.

    This leads many of the Jewish faith NOT to leave Europe to escape the evil of Hitler.
    This leads to NO migration of the Jewish faith into the US & push forth the entertainment business.

    NO Hollywood.

    NO Three Stooges, NO Marx Brothers, NO Mel Brooks (I love his movies), among many others.

    NO scientific advancements in plastics, communication or technology which resulted from World War 2.

    NO ARPANET, which means NO Internet.

    NO Televisions, Cellphones, Computers, and Video Games. NO Pac-Man.

    NO 1950's economic growth due to all the men & women coming back & going to college & starting families.

    NO Baby Boom.

    NO Sex Revolution.

    NO Women's Lib.

    NO Woodstock.

    NO USA-Russia struggle.

    NO Cold War.

    NO Space Race.

    NO Man on the Moon.

    NO spread of communism around the world.

    NO Korean or Vietnam Wars in the Pacific, among others.

    There would an overall malaise on the world.

    And, therefore, your journey to obtain a coin would result in a different time line.

    I believe in this new world there would be NO coin collecting.

    Just my two cents.

    Chris

    The first thing Professor Gilbert missed when he went back to the 1890's with Buster Keaton in "Once Upon a Time" was bikinis. Ya' can't beat a bikini with a stick.

    Tempus fugit.
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    rheddenrhedden Posts: 6,619 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 8, 2021 3:30PM

    Hmmmm.... 1921 time machine? Go straight to the bank for new coins dated 1921.

    "Excuse me, Sir, but do you have any sparkling new dimes, quarters, or half dollars direct from the mint?"

    "Why no, but we have an ample supply of brand new silver dollars!"

    "Ummm, I was really looking for smaller denomination silver...."

    "Well, let's see the dollars (because 1921 Peace dollars are still something...)"

    (Teller dumps bag of heavily bagmarked 1921 Morgans in front of you with coin counter marks on the faces.) "Here you are!"

    "Uh, I'll pass on those. Do you at least have any new pennies or nickels dated 1921?"

    "Just a moment - I'll check in the vault."

    (Teller comes back, and empties out a Gem red roll of 1921-S Lincolns onto the counter!!!)

    "We only have this one roll of new pennies."

    "Yes! I'll take 50 of those. Here are two quarters."

    "That will be $37,500 additional."

    "What!!!??"

    "Yeah, Bid is $750 on those. They haven't been sent to PCGS yet, either. I'm planning to take them back to 2021 later today in my time machine."

    On your way back to the time machine portal, you stroll outside and spend your 50 cents on a shot of Al Capone's bootleg whiskey, which is promptly swallowed. As the quarters go into the register, you catch a glimpse of the dates and realize they were both 1916 SLQs.

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