Will 1880s halves ever have their day?

pcgs69

I just picked up an 1885 seated half PCGS VG8 for practically nothing (guess it's all relative), but was wondering will these ever pick up in popularity?

tjkillian

I REALLY need one for my date/mint collection of Seated Halves. Is it available for a small profit?

Seriously?

Congratulations!

291fifth

Don't count on them doing much. While the mintages were low, the survival rates are high.

bidask

a business strike 1885 half with original surfaces graded vg 8 is a neat coin

ziggy29

<< <i>I just picked up an 1885 seated half PCGS VG8 for practically nothing (guess it's all relative), but was wondering will these ever pick up in popularity? >>

These are almost always seen in AU, MS and proof, so seeing one in VG is

longtimecollector

I have seen prices steadily increase in the last 7-10 years..... There was a time when you could find these for $150 or so, but quite a bit more as of late. I think that more & more collectors are working on the Seated Half series as they have been priced out of the Capped Busts by variety collectors. Many dates have increased in price by 2 - 5 times in the last few years (39 ND, 50, 51, 52, High grade 53's,70 CC, 74 CC, 78 CC, 78 S, & the 80's run). Lots of pressure for common dates in high grades for type collectors, and also for scarcer dates in almost any grades. Collecting by die variety has increased with the publication of the Wiley-Bugert encyclopedia, and increased interest in the series sparked by the LSCC (Liberty Seated Collectors Club) has also helped to drive prices up. The Seated Half series is LONG, and has lots of "common" dates, and typically in years past, very few collectors ever tried to assemble a date / mint set, much less a date / mint / die variety collection. But the times they are a changin' !!!!!!! Look for the entry price for the 80's run to get up towards $400 - $500 within the next 5 years or so.

BTW....... Many new varieties have been identified since the initial publication of the W-B Encyclopedia..... Updates are posted sporadically in the LSCC Journals....... Probably as many new varieties as there are ones already listed. If anyone ever took it upon themselves to update / broaden / list by die marriage as well as variety, even though the task would be enormous, it would definitely help spark interest and drive prices higher.

pcgs69

broke out my bad photography skills with my handy dandy camera...

RichieURich

Pcgs69, that is a pretty 1885 half! Congratulations on your purchase!

I think Longtimecollector has it right, these have increased in popularity lately and the prices have increased as a result.

Casey

That is a nice looking half.

rec78

Dennis88

Very nice half dollar!

These are the coins that made America after the industrial revolution

sTONER

nice coin and pics,,

wam98

That's a nice looking half.

Julian

Circulated halves 1879-1890 have always been scarce, bordering on rare. Just try and put a set together one day.

Uncirculated and proof are scarce but not nearly as scarce.

ARCO

Like Juliann stated, the 79-90 year halves are not at all uncommon in MS grades despite their miniscule mintages. The real challenge is collecting these years in in the lower circulated grades of VG10 - VF20. On top of that trying to find coins that are original with really nice eye appeal. PCGS69 your coin is a perfect example of a nicely toned lower graded circulated piece.

I imagine that the lack of popularity is due to the relative availability of these dates in the MS grades, and the lesser demand for coins that are circulated. Besides, there are not a lot of folks doing full date and mintmark sets of the Seated halves.

Personally, it is a collection that I have wanted to do: F12- VF20 circulated halves from 1879 - 1890. Problem is, I just don't see enough examples to buy.

Tyler

longtimecollector

How 'bout these ?????

ARCO

Longtime - Sweet set!

I especially like the 1880, the 1887, 1889 and the 1890. OK, looks like this is my next collecting goal!

Tyler

pcgs69

<< <i>Longtime - Sweet set!

I especially like the 1880, the 1887, 1889 and the 1890. OK, looks like this is my next collecting goal!

Tyler >>



I agree! That is a nice set!

RichieURich

<< <i>

<< <i>Longtime - Sweet set!

I especially like the 1880, the 1887, 1889 and the 1890. OK, looks like this is my next collecting goal!

Tyler >>



I agree! That is a nice set! >>



Great set, LongtimeCollector! I remember starting this set in the 1970's and it took forever to finish it, the 1887 was the hardest one to find.

longtimecollector

Believe it or not.........

When I was a kid........ WAY back in 1968......... At the tender age of 10............ My mother had a job as a secretary at a local church........ They had a fairly large congregation, about 1500 families.......... and on Monday afternoons, it was my "job" to sort and count the change from the Sunday collection......... Typically, there was close to $1000 in change to be sorted/counted every week........ I had the opportunity to buy any coins from the collection at face value........ With my weekly allowance of $5, I typically bought all the silver coins I could find.......... Some weeks there was more silver than I could afford, and it went off to the bank to be deposited.......... and some weeks there was hardly anything to pick through........ I found countless dateless buffalos....... mostly dateless Standing Quarters.......... lots and lots of Walkers, Franklins, & 64 Kennedies......... I never found any Indian Cents nor any Barber coinage, but I DID find one piece of Seated coinage......... It was the 1888 Half Dollar shown here....... It has a minor dig on the reverse, hence the "damaged" connotation, but it WILL be one of the coins I will remember 'till the day I shuffle off this mortal coil........... I believe I found it in 1972........ I completed the entire date / mintmark set in 2005.............. So I guess you could say that it took me 33 years to do it !!!!!!!!! I'm still interested in Seated Halves, collecting them these days by die variety......... There are more being reported quite frequently, so I guess I'll never be truly "finished"........ Right now, my efforts are towards completing the variety set as defined by the WB Encyclopedia........ Occasionally, I add an "unlisted" variety to the group, but unsearched / unattributed examples are becoming more scarce, and it's been getting more and more difficult to even find coins that I "need" already attributed........ To me, this is what collecting is all about....... Hunting, searching, attributing, researching........... Any douchebag with a bottomless checkbook can go out and by a collection of "finest knowns"......... My satisfaction comes from having "built" the set myself