Question about Barber Half

csdot

How much would the scratch above the LF in half affect your enjoyment of this coin? Should the scratch have kept it out of its PF64Cam holder? Thanks.

nankraut

It looks like the rest of the reverse is 65 or better; so I say the scratch took it down to MS64.

COALPORTER

Id stay away from it. Too many dealers would point that out first and not want to buy it,

or pay you a very low price. I wouldn't expect a dealer to offer anywhere near the price

for the grade.

TomB

The image is really poor and reminds me of a scan. If I am interpreting it correctly, it looks more like a strikethrough than a scratch. Regardless, an untoned proof Barber half dollar generally does not do it for me.

Rampage

I do not find that scratch terribly distracting. I would enjoy the coin. Hard to say whether the Proof 64 grade is correct given that you only posted a picture of the reverse.

mannie gray

Presuming the obverse is nice, it wouldn't bother me, although I'm hardly an expert on Barber proof halves, having only owned one.

I've always thought that the PR64 grade offered solid value if you are patient and can look through a lot of them.

I've owned many PR64 coins that (to me) were more eye appealing than their PR66 counterparts.

Jinx86

I too view this "scratch" as a strike though and below the surface of the field. The smooth look the the wing high points and neck are what I dont like on this pieces, weak strike?

291fifth

Pass. Obvious scratches on proof coins really attract attention ... especially when it comes time to sell.

winky

I would not want it. To me it is a detail that won't go away.

csdot

Good point about a dealer pointing at the scratch as an excuse to lowball you at sale time. Other than that one scratch, I think the coin is solid at that grade.

ARCO

Doesn't bother me. Scratch is on the reverse and well disguised. Obverse is clean. Just dont pay a premium.



Tyler

EastonCollection

Why dont you pass on the coin - there seems to be alot of proof Barbers available right now so you can pick a coin with out any issues probably for not much more.

TwoSides2aCoin

Originally posted by: 291fifth
Pass. Obvious scratches on proof coins really attract attention ... especially when it comes time to sell.

You're the biggest passer by I never met.

BillJones

The coin has obviously been dipped, and it has a cloudy look to it. Those two factors would bother me more than the scratch, although it is distracting. You can get much nicer Barber half dollars in the PR-64 grade.

roadrunner

Originally posted by: ARCO

Doesn't bother me. Scratch is on the reverse and well disguised. Obverse is clean. Just dont pay a premium.



Tyler

Ditto. While you can find better ones, they will probably cost more too. And, you can easily find 64's that are heavily hairlined that are much worse. My preference would be towards nicely toned ones with a couple hairlines, grazes or scuffs preventing a 65 grade. A hit like that on the obverse would be quite distracting.

LindeDad

Should of kept it out of any holder IMO. Bring back the BB's.

BillJones

You can dislike this coin, but it's the one in my type set and my 1913 Proof set and it is graded PR-64. It has been my observation that the earlier dates are easier to find nice than the later dates.

This is a Proof Barber quarter in PR-64. It is great eye appeal, although my photographs might not reflect that. I don't know how easy it is to find a Proof Barber half that looks this nice, but one must be out there.

Baley

Originally posted by: TwoSides2aCoin

Originally posted by: 291fifth

Pass. Obvious scratches on proof coins really attract attention ... especially when it comes time to sell.

You're the biggest passer by I never met.

Yup, regardless of price, pass pass pass sez 291fifth

Jackthecat1

The scratch would bother me enough to pass on the coin, as nice as it is otherwise.

MFH

I think Jackthecat1 summed it up nicely. One distraction is enough for me to pass on that coin, regardless of how nice it is otherwise. The scratch gave the coin its grade: PR 64 CAM. Otherwise, I could easily see it in a 65+ CAM holder. Too bad actually.

Cougar1978

I would think the scratch would have kept it from a higher grade. It is a major problem for me and I really don't like the coin nor would be a buyer even at a heavily discounted price. I can't see a dealer paying much for it (vs CDN Bid, etc) or even willing to make an offer at all.

Big ticket coins are hard enough to sell as it is. Sadly I see many collectors at shows having been stuck with a big ticket piece which is not that marketable, not really knowing what is involved in selling coins because they never bothered to exercise this part of the hobby complaining about being "lowballed" as they shop the coin around the bourse. The dealer is a businessman who bases his offer on what he thinks he can sell it for, not the bank for a buyers mistakes. If your considering buying this coin I would suggest you pass.

roadrunner

We could always trade in that rev mark for a half dozen light hairlines on Liberty's cheek if that would help.

csdot

Great responses all, and I am glad I inquired. My concerns were confirmed.

Walkerfan

I'd be more bothered by the dipped haze than the scratch.