Is it possible to find XF Barber halfs at bid?

coindeuce

HPM

No

coindeuce

YES!

tightbudget

Sure. Just don't expect many of them to be attractive.

keyman64

More often than not...no.

Tdec1000

Yes, if you find a dealer who lives and dies by the CDN Greysheet.

coindeuce

<< <i>Yes, if you find a dealer who lives and dies by the CDN Greysheet. >>



Or if you find an auctioneer who sells mostly jewelry.

HPM

Are these coins you found graded? What dates? It makes a huge difference

coindeuce

1908-O. PCGS XF-45.

HPM

Nice find!

Jinx86

<< <i>Yes, if you find a dealer who lives and dies by the CDN Greysheet. >>



I know one....Just have to be the first one to his shop after he prices things out.

Manorcourtman

What's bid on this date?

Cougar1978

No - unless it is a raw cleaned, problem coin.

When I have people ask me this kind of question about a series like Barbers at my table at a show I ask them if they have one they would like to sell me at bid especially if they are asking about a TPG graded coin. Frankly I seldom have this question come up as everyone knows how hard this material is to find anywhere near bid!

Walkerguy21D

They have gotten considerably harder to find over the past 3-4 years, that's for sure.
Some of the more common dates still do show up, like the 12S and 15D.
Also realize that even the 'real market' for common date coins is not 2x or 3x Bid like it is for the tough dates.

Prethen

Yeah, cleaned crappy ones.

ARCO

I haven't seen them offered at Bid in twelve years of collecting. At least not the ones I want to buy.

Tyler

rhedden

Yeah, I buy choice, original XF45 dates like 1896-o, 1893-s, 1897-s, 1899-o, 1901-s, 1902-s, 1904-s, etc. 10% back of XF bid just about every day. Dime a dozen. Common junk.

Oh, forgot to mention I am a pathological liar.

In reality, one can probably buy uncertified common dates, especially later dates like 1912-D, close to Bid, but they will probably be coins that may or may not holder at PCGS.

dogwood

If that's all you're looking for day in and day out, maybe some date yes.
There's been attempts at huge profit taking on most better dates. Lots of parked material at optimistic pricing.
At date/grade with a TPG pop of 15 or 20 is common in this series because the demand is really not that high.
Still, the time to buy is yesterday.

njcoincrank

Not ones I would want.

njcc

MFH

Ron... you funny man... I found it interesting you included the 1899-O
as I just upgraded my XF 40 for a 45.
My newp 45:



Coinduce, et al:

I am sure you can buy uncertified XF Halves at or just below bid
provided they are not overly processed [ ie: cleaned - whizzed
as these damaged coins can be picked up for at least 20% under].

Certified by PCGS coins in XF command a greater premium than
raw [ obviously ] and the more common dated coins, ie: 1908-O PCGS 45
can be located at or near Grey Sheet. Also, over graded XF 45's could
sell for Grey Sheet or less as well.

BTW - all the dates Ron mentioned sell for multiples of Grey Sheet.
[Of course, you realized that anyway ].

LanceNewmanOCC

<< <i>Sure. Just don't expect many of them to be attractive. >>


+1
.

DIMEMAN

I don't think you can buy nice coins from any series at bid.....except maybe the modern stuff.

OKbustchaser

Yes, you can if they are actually trumped up VFs. I saw a lot of these when I was putting together my year set.

veryfine

My response is more general, and probably a bit off topic, but I never see raw, problem-free, Fine and better barber halves at local NYC coin shows.

If there are any bargains out there, even for so-called common dates, I am not aware of them. In fact, in the last 20 to 30 years, it's been a virtual desert with regard to acceptable, F-AU, raw barber halves. I'm sure if I were a dealer, traveled to larger shows or were part of a network of barber coin collectors, I'd have a different point of view.

amwldcoin

I have been paying over bid for nice original barber halves graded or raw for well over a decade! If you have any to sell they will quickly find a home with me!

If you force me to offer on a cleaned or problem 1 you will be lucky if I offer 1/2 of Greysheet! There are a few exceptions to this on the tougher dates though.

Dogwood...there is much more demand than you think!

Lucanus

Cleaned/problem coins can be found at bid. Also possibly from small dealers that don't know how to grade.

Doug

Elcontador

In general, Barber Halves imo have to be the ugliest coin for the grade with respect to coins which have circulated in the U.S.
I'm sure you can find XFs at bid.

But you'd better be sure that you are current on your vaccinations and wear sturdy gloves when handling them, because they might bite you. I also suggest bringing a barf-bag with you when examining these coins.

MFH

Jeff,

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...............

I think the Barber Halves are the most attractive -
grade for grade - of all circulating US Half Dollars.

LogPotato

<< <i>Not ones I would want.

njcc >>



+1

amwldcoin

<< <i>In general, Barber Halves imo have to be the ugliest coin for the grade with respect to coins which have circulated in the U.S.
I'm sure you can find XFs at bid.

But you'd better be sure that you are current on your vaccinations and wear sturdy gloves when handling them, because they might bite you. I also suggest bringing a barf-bag with you when examining these coins. >>



If I read through your post does it mean you think Barber 1/2's are usually overgraded? I say this because you said ugliest for the grade!

I am with Log Potato...in Midgrades and better!

DennisH

Not in this reality!

DorkGirl

<< <i>Sure. Just don't expect many of them to be attractive. >>

Elcontador

This is to Mike & AM Wld -

It took me four full years to find an MS 65 Barber Half that I thought was acceptable for my collection. I looked at over 100 of them. Ergo, I saw a 1907 P that appeared to have a Hitler mustache. Many of them had splotchy urine or toilet bowl toning. Bo Diddley would have looked at them and said that they were "whooped by the ugly stick."

A few others were dipped out. Many were imo liner coins that had too many contact marks for the grade on the cheek and / or neck. A few others looked like Jack the Ripper got to them. On the whole, nasty, nasty coins.

amwldcoin

<< <i>This is to Mike & AM Wld -

It took me four full years to find an MS 65 Barber Half that I thought was acceptable for my collection. I looked at over 100 of them. Ergo, I saw a 1907 P that appeared to have a Hitler mustache. Many of them had splotchy urine or toilet bowl toning. Bo Diddley would have looked at them and said that they were "whooped by the ugly stick."

A few others were dipped out. Many were imo liner coins that had too many contact marks for the grade on the cheek and / or neck. A few others looked like Jack the Ripper got to them. On the whole, nasty, nasty coins. >>



I don't know how to do the I agree with you sign but it is here!

This is the reason for the big swings in prices for similiarly graded coins.

roadrunner

Yes, you can find them. But it usually means finding a seller who is weak on grading and will sell you a "VF" that's really a full XF. I still run across orig Barber
halves in AU that are being sold as XF. Last one I got was an XF45++ 1903-s that was being sold for between CDN XF bid/ask. It happens, especially on the "O" mints
where a slight weakness in strike is confused as wear (1902-0, 1903-0, etc.).

TomB

Heck, I got this one off of an ebay BIN a few years ago offered by a full-time coin shop for less than VF bid. It is now in a PCGS EF40 holder. However, I would not want to bet my life on finding another.

SAM5969

Really nice 93-S Tom .. Is that the subject coin of your circulated Barber Half Blog? Great read I have read a dozen times if I have read it once. Extremely well written and outstanding diction.

This 1896-P was bought long ago and is one of the purest originally surfaced coins in my sets. (The 96-P is one of the tougher P mints in the set).

There is 100+ year old baked on crust which is easily seen in the fields and on the cheek primarily. Along the rim, obverse stars and lettering in particular, and amongst the reverse stars, iridescent toning can be seen beneath the crust. Where there is crust bonded to the original surface, the luster is masked, but where the coin is devoid of crust, the flash of the luster off the original metal is extremely brilliant. The tone and patina cause the luster to be reflected in a rusty gold when tilted towards the light. There are tiny patches of intermittent crust amongst the stars on the reverse above the eagle (almost like a window screen effect). In these intermittent areas, the intense underlying luster cause a shimmering effect of rusty gold flashy luster that has to be seen to be appreciated.

The true beauty of this coin can only be seen in hand; and certainly is well beyond my ability to even attempt to capture it. It has been in a PCGS XF45 holder for many years.

dogwood

Yeah, I'm gonna side with elcontador on this and say that 93-s and 96-p are a couple of hideous sacks of hurl.

<<<

TwoSides2aCoin

Laura went on a buying spree of the AU 58 CBHs a couple years ago. It's not going to be easy finding much detail on coins such as Barber Halves without paying up, too. If a guy gets them on the cheap , he's outsmarted someone not so up to date on value... because everything climbs the ladder, in time.

TwoSides2aCoin

<< <i>The true beauty of this coin can only be seen in hand; and certainly is well beyond my ability to even attempt to capture it. It has been in a PCGS XF45 holder for many years.

>>



One travesty of justice: It should be AU and : It does not need a "sticker" for approval. This is not to disparage any entity. It's merely my opinion.

golden

<< <i>I don't think you can buy nice coins from any series at bid.....except maybe the modern stuff. >>

rhedden

Many of them had splotchy urine or toilet bowl toning.

LOL- Elcontador has possibly "coined" a new piece of numismatic jargon. I think what he is describing is the light brownish or yellow spotty stuff that appears 10 years after a coin was dipped white in order to get the bump to 65, turning fugly in the slab. Imagine an auction house description:

1898-O Barber Half. NGC MS65. Well struck for the grade, with coveted "toilet bowl" toning gracing its delicate surfaces. Looks just like someone's dog mistook the coin for a fire hydrant! One will feel truly sorry for Ms. Liberty upon viewing it in-hand. A prize for the urine splotch toning specialist.


Also, that 1893-S posted by TomB deserves a heartfelt "You Suck".

CaptHenway

<< <i>Sure. Just don't expect many of them to be attractive. >>



What he said, except change "many" to "any."

MFH

A friend of mine who never posts on any US Coin forum but is building a world class
collection of all Barbers - mentioned to me that he is actively on the hunt for a gem
1901-S Quarter.

Having located one for him in NGC 65, he said he had already inspected that coin
..." ... The one with the Baby Vomit toning on the obverse ..."

I know how fussy Jeff is with every coin he purchases. I can understand why nothing
but sheer perfection will only suit him, however, not everyone is such a purist. Darrell
hit a valid point, not all coins graded the same are each other's equal. That goes without
saying. But to call lightly circulated Barbers eye sores is a bit much. As I said, beauty is
in the eyes of the beholder.

Elcontador

I don't know about Barber Halves in XF, but type Barber Halves in MS 65 have been slowly losing their value over the last ten or fifteen years.

telephoto1

<< <i>I don't know about Barber Halves in XF, but type Barber Halves in MS 65 have been slowly losing their value over the last ten or fifteen years. >>



Agree. The VF-XF stuff is getting all the hype right now and higher end pieces are languishing.

shorecoll

High end pieces can continue to languish...I'm not starting 65's unless I can spend Mike's money.

I could sell everything I own, including my house, and I'd still be at least few coins short.

SAM5969

<< <i>don't know about Barber Halves in XF, but type Barber Halves in MS 65 have been slowly losing their value over the last ten or fifteen years. >>



I thought the 2010 Boston auction of the Duckor Halves brought record prices?

J/K .. I know those were top pops and not avg run of the mill 65's (if there is such a thing) .. Seriously, I agree overall trend is down

MFH

Not many high end collectors joining the frey for these Gem MS coins.
More great sets have been sold than new ones started, a good reason
for the slight price declines. All you need is another pair of collectors,
like Duckor & Friend attempting to complete a set of Halves - then see
prices move up.

Oh, and Leon, if I had your money, I could burn mine ...

coindeuce

wow. I thought this thread had faded quietly away. Any who, here is the PCGS-45 that I found at bid. It was tucked away in an online sale of jewelry, supposedly part of the jewelers limited coin collection. Not too shabby, eh ?

MFH

I think you did well.

Thanks for sharing.

Edit for typo.