Barber Half Guys: 92-O vs. 92-S, equal rarity??

bushmaster8

Even though the 1892-O (390,000) has a mintage that is a fraction of the 1892-S (1,000,000+), these two key date Barber halves have historically traded in very similar price range. Is there any plausible explanation for this?

Barberman55

Good question, David Lawrence's book on Barber halves, didn't supply me with the answer. Hopefully, one of the Barber specialists on the boards can help you.

MFH

The only reasoning I can think of is that the 92-S was exported to China - someday a hoard may surface ( all chop marked ) along with the 1901-S quarter hoard everyone has eluded to

ARCO

If the 1892-O with a mintage of 390,000 had happened in say 1894 or 95, you probably would see the key date of the series in all grades. It would be the priciest coin in all grades, and the undisputed king. As it is the first year, the coin was saved in substantial quantities (at least in the MS grades, and relative to other coins in the series.).

New Orleans Mint issues seemed to have been saved the least due to the economic conditions of that era in that geographical region of the U.S., and if not being the first year of issue, its lower mintage would have made it a scarce coin given how the Barber coinage was so extensively used in circulation.

How to explain the nearly identical pricing and scarcity of the 92-S with the 92-O, yet with 92-S having nearly triple the mintage? Firstly, neither coin is scarce in Mint state. They are available and much more popular than other dates for type collectors as the first year of issue, thus they have more demand despite their availability. However, that doesn't seem to explain the disparity in mintage figures for the circulated examples; both of which are in great demand, expensive and fairly difficult to find in grades XF and under.

From my experience both coins in nice VG-XF are nearly impossible to find in "collector" condition (uncleaned/unmolested). Common sense would seem to dictate that the New Orleans coins would be exponentially scarcer due to the region and the lower mintage, and that San Francisco with its burgeoning wealth and prosperity would have hoarders, especially considering the immigrant asians who socked away every penny they could.

Who the hell knows really? It is a connundrum. The 93-S is super scarce, yet the 94-S is fairly common, and we only have a few years difference. Sure, the 94-S has a high mintage, but it is probably the most common date of the early S mints and of the early 1890 Barbers overall. Maybe there are pieces to the puzzle just not known. As Mike said, perhaps some of the coins were exported to asian economies by the new immigrants?

S mint coinage seems to be very popular, perhaps demand for the San Francisco coinage is a bit stronger than Philly or New Orleans issues? OK, I am grasping at straws here to seem intelligent, but I am clueless too.

Tyler

TheRaven

I have been able to find 1 1892-S in VG condition which I purchased for $275.....

I have been able to find 1 1892-O in VG condition which was cleaned and I did not purchase it.....

Have not seen any other ones in G to F condition so they are hard to get.....

bushmaster8

<< <i>The only reasoning I can think of is that the 92-S was exported to China - someday a hoard may surface ( all chop marked ) along with the 1901-S quarter hoard everyone has eluded to >>



Man! I would never elude a hoard of 1901-S's!!