Opinions please on this Barber half

Casey

Does it look original and AU?



Thanks,

Casey

itsnotjustme

No, looks cleaned to me, and XF.

Casey

How about this one?

airplanenut

It's possible that it is washed out by a scanner- I have had very original coins scan like that... just a note for accuracy

OnlyBuffalos

Both look XF from the scan. Cannot tell for sure if cleaned. Best bet is to look at Liberty's cheek with a 5X lens. If the coins are cleaned you will likely see hairlines in the cheek. If cheek is Ok then look at the fields the same way. Many people who cleaned these focused on the obverse.

NumisEd

It's hard to tell originality in the scan, but my immediate reaction to the 1899 was "messed with....not original". It's not AU, either. The 1913 looks better, but possibly lightly cleaned based on the color pattern. They both look EF to me, with the 1913 being the better coin. Any luster on either coin???

Dave99B

The 1899 is XF at best. No luster, washed out. Nasty. Save your money - avoid junk like this.

The 1913 looks XF to me as well, and looks fairly original. Decent, and definately slab-able.

Dave

airplanenut

<< <i>The 1899 is XF at best. No luster, washed out. Nasty. Save your money - avoid junk like this. >>

Don't be so harsh so fast... I have a very original T1 SLQ and Barber Dime (both XF) that scan very washed out... they are in NO WAY junk coins... they are some of my most aesthetically pleasing. This looks like something that needs to be seen in person to determine originality... it could be washed up, but it could be lustrous.

Jeremy

sinin1

Casey - do you have these coins or thinking of bidding off of picture?

Both look close between XF and AU - final determination would probably be amount of original luster left -> if they have not been cleaned, and you rotate them around, you should be able to see original luster around the periphery on AU coins (around the stars, outside 1/8 inch)

Also can use this to see if harshly dipped, no luster left. The pictures look dead with no luster, but that could just be because of lighting.

itsnotjustme

1913 looks better to me.... slightly higher grade, and the coloring does not have that clearly cleaned look. I would still want to see in person before buying this coin.

Cam40

For the amount of wear and lack of visible contact marks I,d say both were whizzed.
If you view the coins at axtreme angles in good lighting
you may see lots of minute hairs-line scratchs jump out at you.
Hard to say this is this case for sure from the full-on only view we see.

Casey

I don't have the coins, and I'm thinking of bidding off of these pictures. The 1899 just closed for $147, but I was leaning towards the 1913 anyway. Here is the reverse of the 1913.

sinin1

The 1913 obverse looks like someone possibly wiped/scrubbed the field in front of the portrait.

The reverse, with all the dirt/toning around the letters looks VF/XF

Definitely not AU - VF30 to XF40 range

stman

Casey, you can find better than this. I don't like either one as AU, and imo they have been cleaned. Also, like someone else mentioned, you have a lot of wear on these and the image shows hardly any contact marks. That's one reason I say they have been cleaned, not to mention the washed out look. I would assume if you looked at these in person there would be plenty of hairlines and no luster. JMO

Dog97

I don't see the cleaning everybody else does but I do see dipped & XF.

tsacch

I agree with the dog..........

dorkkarl

dudes, not xf! it would require clear separation of all feathers in the eagle's wings (on rev), 100% separation of the headband (liberty) from the forelocks, no wear on the star's centrals!

1899 vf-30+ detail, diped
1903 vf-30, original

K S

Dog97

I was just being nice.

OnlyBuffalos

The 1913-D half is one of the better struck coins in the series. It is readily available. This coin is not XF. Better ones are readily available. Uncleaned ones are often listed in Heritage's auctions and AU coins will typically go for around $225 - $260. Look at Heritage's Auction Archives to get a feel for what XF and AU coins look like. Barber halfs are fairly easy to grade once you see a few in person. What you do not get on an XF half is the "3D" appearance that an AU coin will have. Many times a scan of an AU coin and an XF will appear the same. The "3D" effect is important and buying raw coins without having them in your hand is a crap shoot.

Luster is a tough delineator to rely on.. The uncleaned and undipped AU and XF halfs are likely toned and luster is not readily visible on many. AU coins do usually have a glow about them.

If the coin is for sale on Ebay it is very very likely to be cleaned. The seller using the word "original" is also pretty useless.

Have you asked the seller if he is certain that it has not been cleaned and how many hairlines are on the coin? If you do not get a satisfactory answer, then stay away. If the answer is OK, tell the seller you like the coin but have been burned badly in the past. Will he refund all your costs if once you receive the coin, it turns out to be bagged when submitted to PCGS/NGC? ANACS will slab cleaned coins but will indicate the coin has been cleaned. (Be aware however that some halfs in slabs have been lightly cleaned.) A reputable seller will agree to this. He does have your money and if it is uncleaned what should it matter to the seller. Tell him to check your feedback to see what a great buyer you are.

Casey

Thanks forthe comments. I stayed away from the 1913 also. I'll spend some time on the Heritage site once its back up.

coinkat

Not to beat a dead horse, but both coins (1899 & 1913-d) do not make ef. If you are seeking nice original Barber Halfs, you are better off going to the larger shows and buying before you see them. It will also give you the opportunity to meet afew dealers that can help find some of the better dates in the condition that you desire. I would not rely on pictures/scans in bidding on original Barbers.

relayer

I wouldn't run, but I'd walk briskly away from both