Hey Barber collectors: One newspaper says your coin is UGLY

Mark

On July 8, 1916 the NY Times reprinted the opinion of the Cleveland PLain Dealer about the soon-to-be-replaced Barber coins: "...the United States mints will cease coining half dollars, quarters, and dimes with the unhandsome, masculine lady's face on them. The uncomfortable eagle, suspended in space, with arrows in one claw, a twig in the other, and a motto in his beak, will be given an eternal rest. Neither the lady nor the bird will be missed."

Personally, I think you have been SERIOUSLY dissed!!

Mark

flaminio

<< <i>...unhandsome, masculine lady's face on them... >>

Truth hurts, don't it ?

291fifth

It is probably the reason why Barber coins were never very popular with collectors. Most of them just kept circulating until they had worn down to AG-VG grades. In the 42 years that I have been collecting I don't think Barbers could ever have been referred to as a "hot" series.

ziggy29

Funny thing, though, in retrospect, when compared to the dead president worship of today, they're beautiful. Probably among the least beautiful of the pre-dead-president series, but still, in comparison to today...

MFH

I'd rather see that masculine lady on the obverse of our circulating coins than our dead presidents ( who belong on paper money only ).

Of course, compared to the new designs of 1916, the Barbers pale in comparison.

I collect the Barber series in AU 55 - 58, as well as SLQ's & Walkers, so you can see, I'm not prejudiced against either series. Heck, I have a small budding collection of Seated Liberty coins as well, and the Barber designs were looked upon as a vast improvement to their predecessors back in 1892.

oldcameoproofsguy

I'm glad that everyone thinks they're ugly, that means more for me.

ms70

<< <i>unhandsome, masculine lady's face >>



Has it actually been determined that it is in fact a woman's face? I always considered it to be male, much like
an old Italian or Greek statue image.

MrEureka

On July 8, 1916 the NY Times reprinted the opinion of the Cleveland PLain Dealer about the soon-to-be-replaced Barber coins

Funny thing is, the owner of the Cleveland Plain Dealer had an awesome collection of Barber coins. Guess who?

ms70

<< <i>Guess who? >>



Max Mehl?

nwcs

<< <i>

<< <i>...unhandsome, masculine lady's face on them... >>

Truth hurts, don't it ? >>

Ditto

MrEureka

Max Mehl?

Nope. I don't even know if Mehl collected anything, BTW.

Mark

Andy, what a marvelous bit of trivia. I am pleased to report that I believe my guess is correct. I base my assumption that my guess is correct from this bit of Internet information: "Liberty E. Holden, who bought The Plain Dealer in 1885 and whose heirs owned the paper until 1967."

I am not naming the person I guess because I don't want to spoil anyone else's fun.

Mark

P.S.: The Plain Dealer's editor still thought Barbers were butt ugly....

ziggy29

<< <i>Max Mehl? >>

Doubt it. Mehl was from Fort Worth.

MrEureka

P.S.: The Plain Dealer's editor still thought Barbers were butt ugly....

And he was right.

Cratylus

Come on, guys! Too easy!

The former owner of the Plain Dealer was none other than Mrs. R. Henry Norweb.

Do I win a prize?

MrEureka

Do I win a prize?

Sure. You get a date with Cammie's sister. Looks a bit like the model for the Barber Quarter.

Cratylus

<< <i>Sure. You get a date with Cammie's sister. Looks a bit like the model for the Barber Quarter. >>



Hmmm.... don't think my wife would be too keen on that idea.

MrEureka

Hmmm.... don't think my wife would be too keen on that idea.

Cratylus - You married Cammie's sister???

Cratylus

<< <i>Cratylus - You married Cammie's sister??? >>



Hail no! I married a hottie who's very possessive of me. How an ugly guy like me got so damn lucky, I'll never know!

STEWARTBLAYNUMIS

Andy

Your personal collection never ceases to amaze me.I bet you also have one of those ms 69 full head Arkansas quarters.

Send me all your lustrous toned Barbers !!!

And do you think Roosevelt dimes, Washington Quarters or Susan B Anthony dollars are beautiful ?

Stewart

MrEureka

And do you think Roosevelt dimes, Washington Quarters or Susan B Anthony dollars are beautiful ?

Only when compared to the Lincoln cent.

dorkkarl

the barber design IS ugly!

K S

LanLord

<< <i>I'd rather see that masculine lady on the obverse of our circulating coins than our dead presidents ( who belong on paper money only ). Of course, compared to the new designs of 1916, the Barbers pale in comparison. I collect the Barber series in AU 55 - 58, as well as SLQ's & Walkers, so you can see, I'm not prejudiced against either series. Heck, I have a small budding collection of Seated Liberty coins as well, and the Barber designs were looked upon as a vast improvement to their predecessors back in 1892. >>

I agree with getting the presidents off the coins, but I'd like them off our paper too. Go back to the educational series from the turn of the 19th to 20th century.

vega1

It interesting that ms70 made that comment. The Barber design always reminded me classical greek or roman sculptures also. Although I have always assumed it is a woman.

For the record I love barbers. They wear beautifully. In my opinion the design results in some of the nicest looking lower grade coins out there. What other coin design looks so good in F-12 or VG-8?

Zerbe

I have collected barber halves and Morgans, and always thought the Barber half had a close resemblance to the Morgan dollar. In fact as someone said, " the barber design looks a little masculine" is somewhat true, but even more so for the Morgan, but then the Morgan, is the most highly collected coin, ?????.

Guess there will always be some detractors for most series, but there are far more people who view and collect these coins, mostly for their beauty !

DrPete

Perhaps no other US coin design seems to polarize people on the beauty issue more than the Barber designed Liberty head dimes, quarters, and halves. I like the coins for more than just the design elements. The time period they were struck was a very interesting era of American History and the coins were real money in denominations that really meant something in their time.

A real attraction for me is the difficulty in finding barber coins that are not completely worn out. Grades of fine and very fine are quite difficult to find nice, and the detail of the uncirculated pieces is amazing compared to the usual about good to good specimens out there. The popularity of the coins and the scarcity combine to make collecting these coins fun and educational. I have also witnessed the prices of barber coinage increasing in the past 3-4 years, particularly in grades of good through very fine.

ziggy29

<< <i>I have also witnessed the prices of barber coinage increasing in the past 3-4 years, particularly in grades of good through very fine. >>

This doesn't surprise me, especially the halves. The Barber Half series is one of the very few "old" (i.e. pre dead-president) series that doesn't have any ridiculously expensive key dates that are unattainable to collectors of fairly modest means in lower grades. I'd have to think that would encourage some people to consider that series, especially if they gave up working on another series because they knew they'd never have $3,000 to buy the key.

hookooekoo

I too initially though the Barber series was ugly, but then I notice that because of the simplisity of the design, a VG to Fine looks about as nice as an XF. Now one of the things I like to collect are "origninal" looking VG-F Barbers. These low grade Barbers are also great for the collector that dosen't have alot of money to spend on coins.

ARCO

The barber designs were not well recieved in their day and were considered the ugly ducklings of coinage. That probably contributed to the low number of Mint state specimens available to collectors today, coupled with the reality of their buying power and widespread use in circulation.

Like Dr Pete stated, the coins have an extra allure due to the time frame of their usage and the fact that even finding coins as low as VG10 can be very challenging in finding them original and untampered with.

As a collector of half dollars spanning the gamut of Flowing hair to walking Liberty I find that for some reason the Barber halves when found original seem to have the most amazing qualities of contrasting two tone colors of any of the half series. Perhaps it is the olympian designs or the highlights on the prominent face, but a perfectly toned Barber half even circulated down to VF is a wonder to behold. It really is that antique aspect of circulated coins that make them so attractive for me. Cleaned, I am apt to vomit at the sight of them like most other people are.




Show me a half in the seated series or walking liberties that gets toning like that.

Tyler

coinlieutenant

How can a coin like this be ugly???

jeffnpcb

When the whole series looks the same, they do tend to get a little tiring to the point of being ugly.

dorkkarl

<< <i>I have collected barber halves and Morgans, and always thought the Barber half had a close resemblance to the Morgan dollar >>

your right. & BOTH designs are ugly!

K S

STEWARTBLAYNUMIS

Hey Dorkkarl,

Why don't you post a picture of your face so we can REALLY see ugly

stewart

dorkkarl

hey, i happen to LIKE ugly coins!

K S