A Barber Half Obverse Image & Partial Auction Description
TomB
Posts: 21,492 ✭✭✭✭✭
Please note that I do not own this coin and am not attempting to tear it down in any way.
In fact, there are a number of nice qualities to this coin that I like, but the auction description made me wonder if I was looking at the same piece. The auctioneer stated, in their opinion, what kept the coin from grading higher and used the term "only a few wispy abrasions". I haven't listed the auction house, the date of sale/description, the date and mint of the coin or the grade assigned because I don't own the coin and don't want someone to think I am attacking their coin.
However, if someone wrote that description to this image, would others think it was accurate?
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Comments
Excellent photography!
Certainly, the auction house isn't hiding anything, yet yeah- it is more than just a few whispy abrasions away from being a gem coin.
The cuts and digs place this once squarely in the MS60- MS62 category, IMHO.
peacockcoins
Ive found most major auction house writeups to have quite a bit of literary license taken.
Given that they have posted reasonable quality pictures, the auction description is irrelavent to me.
Buy the coin....not the description. That being said...I might have described it as "lustrous and well struck. A couple coin rolls and a small dig at the tip of Liberty's nose keep this coin from a higher grade"
The description borders on misleading imo, might be deceptive enough that those who require a microscope to see a coin would be fooled.
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I guess it's all about how you define "only a few wispy abrasions".
Looks to me like it's a heavy wispy
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
Some of the wispy lines appear to be die polish from the photos. Otherwise, though, there’s a heck of a lot of dings on that one. But the pictures do show them all. I’d pass.
Is it accurate? Well I do see "wispy" lines. More like it's embellishment by omission, given the other surface characteristics.
Without giving us the grade the description could be correct if the coin’s grade is AU55.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
I understand the lack of a grade can certainly color what one might think of the description snippet. For this coin it was offered in an MS63 holder.
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What I would refer to as chatter and lacerated. Do you kids still use that term, chatter? 😉
Edited to add: NO, I do NOT think the description is accurate whatsoever. To the point that I believe it’s a description misprint meant for another coin or a cut and paste error.
Having fun while switching things up and focusing on a next level PCGS slabbed 1950+ type set, while still looking for great examples for the 7070.
That grade seems just about right to me,
The picture of this coin is really large and I wonder if all those "dings" are that obvious when the coin is viewed in hand..
I can see it in an MS 63 holder, but don't think it's nice for the grade. The worst Barber Half I've seen was an 07 P graded MS 65 that looked like Miss Liberty had a Hitler moustache.
It looks much nicer than some MS63 Morgan’s I’ve seen, but I think it’s further away from the next grade than a few wispy abrasions.
- Bob -
MPL's - Lincolns of Color
Central Valley Roosevelts
I don’t see this in anything higher than a 62+…. way too much chatter.
Perhaps they meant "whisky" abrasions... the ones in my kitchen could definitely do some harm if attacking a coin.
Could be very heavy die polish, but it appears the date has been entirely whizzed away..
"wispy abrasions..." flow so much better than "pecked by an anhinga."
It looks like it was ambushed by a gang of insects with automatic weapons. I can't imagine that a description so rich in hyperbole would have much effect on a prospective buyer.
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"Possibly attacked by a local woodpecker", probably does not help sell the coin.
Seems accurately graded and has a nice strike and luster otherwise.
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
This is correct.
I would add the auction description does not match the coin. Sounds like a boilerplate description.
A few wispy abrasions like that could send a rather handsome lady like this to the hospital.