Barber Collectors Opinions **Updated with purchase & pic**

TheRaven

Was at the store today looking for my typical VG Halves and Quarters for my sets.....

The guy busted out a AU-58 1912-P Half with very nice eye appeal.... $300 for that.....

Also in the stash was a 1914-D Dime graded AU with nice blue toning for $60.....

I am thinking I should go back and get at least the dime.....


Thoughts from my fellow collectors.....

No pics, but if I get them I can take some.....

streeter

You can't go wrong with nice AU barber stuff even though those are somewhat available. The half is a better 'deal' if it's a true 58 -IMO.

PonyExpress8

Nice AU Barbers are tough and desireable. In some cases they may be as tough as MS examples. Both appear to be good coins as long as they are not cleaned and have good appearance. Are they 3d party graded by PCGS or NGC?

If not be careful as a lot of raw coins have been cleaned and it takes a lot of experience to be able to detect sometimes. Good luck.

michael

buy the au 58 half if it is truly greatly lusterous and 58 and with above average eye appeal

pass on the dime

i bet more than likely the half will be sold before you get back there to buy it

TheRaven

He is open on monday if I want it..... It was not out it was "in the back".....

They are not certified, they where from a type set which he purchased.....

The dime appeared to have nice original toning, not really concerned about that one being cleaned.....

The Half was pretty lusterous and with a few second look did not appear to have any ware on it.....

Thanks for the opinions.....

Any others.....

291fifth

Be very, very careful. The coins may have been cleaned and retoned. Cleaned and retoned are not what the market wants.

TheRaven

Only the dime is toned, the Half has not.....

Barberman55

If you're not sure of the originality of the half, for another $75.00 to $100.00, you could pick up a nice, certified, common date, AU Barber half, thru a dealer or at a coin show.

mozin

Wait for certified coins.

InYHWHWeTrust

I agree w/ the caution of the previous posts. It is a steep, and potentially expensive, learning curve from VG to the AU gradess--and since you posted here for opinions, you must care about value, resale, investment risk to some degree.--not just you really like how they look. If you're like me, you 'll probably need to look at a zillion of them in that grade in slabs and raw with expert opinion close by before you're reasonably comfortable with assessing originality and grade. And also, hopefully not state the obvious, do you trust the dealer?
Best success,

Don

TheRaven

I am surprised at the negative tone, but I asked for opinions and am very glad to get truthful and honest opinions from everybody.....

As far as trusting the dealer, this is the one dealer and I would say I do trust, with him being the one I cut my teeth as a collector with.....

grayroads

The real question(s) is do you know the dealer or do you know the coin (series)? The answer will dictate the answer to your question.

ccex

I'd pass on the 1914-D dime unless you need one for a type set and you're sure it's original. This is one of the most common dates in the series, and often available in attractive AU for less.

I find that the most common date Barber Dimes rarely sell for CDN bid unless they are in a respectable slab graded MS-63 or better.

It's always encouraging to find a dealer who doesn't try selling attractive AU Barbers as mint state coins.

TheRaven

I have known the dealer for 5 years now..... He is usually spot on grading wise.....

Barber Halves have been a set I have been working on for over a year know, in VG grade..... Was thinking I should get a nice type coin in AU or MS.....

As far as the dime, I have a few Barber Dimes, but they are much lower grade then AU that this coin is..... Again was thinking a nice Dime, Quarter and Half would be good to have..... plus this dime has nice color on it.....

au58

Tell the dealer you intend to have the half dollar graded by a TPG. Then buy the coin. Send it to a board member going to the FUN show and ask them to get an ANACS opinion for you. If it's 58, keep it, if not, return it.

itsnotjustme

Look careful at the neck of the AU58 half. I sold one of those with a hairline scratch across the neck... most angles you do not see it. Right angle it looks like a pearl necklace (really).

TheRaven

Was thinking about that question to be answered to see what he said.....

Elcontador

I would not buy any unslabbed Barber coin. I have looked at many Barber Dimes, Quarters and Halves in MS 65 and MS 66. 80% of them were IMO ugly and / or overgraded. Moreso re the Halves. I suggest wearing latex gloves while looking at Barber Halves, in case the coin(s) bite you (it's almost that bad). I went to one show and looked at 20 or more Barber Dimes in MS 65 and didn't like any of them.

I imagine at the AU level, you will also have to deal with the possibility of many cleaned coins (at the above grade levels, I didn't see anything I thought was AT, just a lot that was ugly). Dimes and quarters have gotten cheaper over the last few years; not so re the Halves.

Re an AU, look for luster breaks / slight color changes at the high points of the coins. If you see obvious wear, and they tell you it's AU, it's probably overgraded.

Don't be in a hurry to buy AU or Unc. Barber coins.

TheRaven

Very surprising this entire thread.....

michael

which post on here is one of the more surprising ones for you ??????

TheRaven

The general negative tone towards purchasing these coins.....

Only a few posts say purchasing these is a potentially good thing.....

Now I know this is all done without seeing the coins so.....

777

I would be patient and wait, I purchase only pcgs/ngc/anacs coins to keep or resell, $300 is alot to spend to only find out its coming back bodybagged for any number of reasons.. You can find a nice barber half if you wait,

TheRaven

I went back today and looked closely at the Half and the Dime.

I purchased the dime and here are some pics, this is my first crack at pictures so.....

The Half was indeed original, imo, but it had a weak strike and I would not call it AU-58, he did not have it priced at AU-58 level either so.....

streeter

No wonder he had it in the back.

ChangeInHistory

It has that ---cleaned and put in an album for 10 years---look to it.

TheRaven

Ya think?

I did not think so.....

PonyExpress8

That looks like a nice dime from what I can tell from the pic. I imagine in hand it's even better of course.

I think all the cautions can begin to create a life of their own on some threads. Nice Barber coins are hard to find original in any grade. But as for an investment with long term potential, a nice Barber Half has oodles of potential IMHO. The quarter and dime aren't bad either, especially with a nice original look.

Good luck.

291fifth

Based on the photos I would guess that it has been dipped and has retoned. I just don't trust any high grade Barber coins that are raw.

boyhowdy

AU takes in a lot of territory. An attractively toned slider is a good buy at that price.

Steve