Barber experts chime in: does the reverse eagle on quarters and halves provide a more dramatic metal

1907Quarter

the luster associated with the wreath reverse of a dime? please discuss!!

Sunnywood

Yes, absolutely !!! Let's see if I can find an example from my set ... well, the photo probably doesn't show it, but in hand this 1916-D PCGS MS67 has screaming luster, with ghost images of the wings (upside-down of course) visible on either side of Miss Liberty, as caused by the metal flow ...

roadrunner

The OP actually asked about reverse eagle metal flow. The obv of a Barber 25c or 50c has incredible metal flow and is a great marker for determining unc status. The reverse of the dime is striking and a far less busier design in the central portion. Given that choice, the rev of the 25c and 50c have no real obvious patches of luster due to the eagle hogging all the space. My vote is for the dime rev. of both the Barber and Seated dime....essentially identical.

Note that I own a seated no motto half with metal luster flow very similar to the obv on Barber 25'c and 50c's. It happens to be NGC MS67 (mintage 253,000) and is one of very few pristine gems I've seen that have boggling luster where is swirls in patches rather than cartwheels. Rather interesting and sort of neat imo. Even after a short period of handling, most seated halves seem to lose that feature, assuming they ever had it to begin with. On top of that the Barber dies were probably used longer (less traces of PL surfaces).

roadrunner

Sunnywood

roadrunner, I see your point, although the OP does not specify where the luster lies. I normally associate luster on Barbers with the obverse !! And the reverse eagle on the quarter and half does indeed provide dramatic metal-flow luster ... on the *obverse* !! Hence my post above.

As far as luster on the reverse, there are flow patterns, but they are more subtle. Again, I refer to my coin imaged above, which does indeed have coruscating waves of luster on the reverse, but far less dramatic than the obverse.

SW