In Appreciation of the Proof Barber Half (1892-1915)
Eldorado9
Posts: 2,273 ✭✭✭✭✭
I've always loved proof Barber's. They are gorgeous coins in proof, and represent unique snapshots in time from an era that had a monumental impact on America: The Columbian Exposition, the first powered flight by the Wright brothers, the Great San Francisco earthquake, the rise of the automobile and mass production, Teddy Roosevelt! The USA was quickly setting the stage to be a superpower later in the century. It is still unfathomable to me that the Wright brothers flew their spruce and cloth airplane in 1903, and we landed only 66 years later on the moon! All of this was happening as the mint produced the Barber coinage. The design was generally panned at the time, but it has aged extremely well and looks very classic now.
The way the originally toned big coins hit the light, all candy colored.....They are hard to resist. One can imagine a run of Barber proof sets being found in an old dusty attic, still wrapped in mint tissue paper. What a find that would be.
Maybe some original proof sets are still out there? Where are they? Show them if you got them!
The sad fact is, the majority of original proof sets were broken up, and typically scrubbed with baking soda, leaving very few original, stellar survivors. Breen in his Encyclopedia of Proof Coins typically issues the blanket statement on Barber proofs: "Many have been ruined by cleaning". And today, that proves true....The total populations for PF-67 and above Barber halves can usually be counted on one or two hands.
I recently reached 75% completion on the PCGS Proof Barber .50c Registry (24 coins total for the set). I hope to have it completed at some point in 2021 although I still have 6 coins to add including the 1902, 1907, 1908 among others. These three dates in particular seem slightly tougher than the rest. (I'd be interested to hear from other collectors re: those dates and the difficulty in finding). All coins in the set are PCGS/CAC.
There is pretty stout competition at the top. Bob Simpson had an amazing set which is now being sold off, DL Hansen is in #1 currently with a set that is likely technically unbeatable, Perfection, Bruce Scher, the Pinnacle/ Kervorkian Set....All these guys clearly have been gunning for the top spot, and have assembled some really amazing coins.
My set currently resides in a rather inauspicious 10th place on the PCGS Registry and has a GPA of 67.50. If I can complete the set, and maintain the GPA at 67.50, I would land in the #4 spot on the registry, just underneath the #3 Hansen Set. (He has 3 complete sets of Proof Barber halves for goodness sakes! A man after my own heart.) If I can increase the GPA slightly to 67.67, that would land the set in the #3 position, just behind the stunning golden cameo's of the Kervorkian set @ 68.06 GPA, and the unmatchable #1 Hansen set @ 68.70 GPA. My 2 cents....It is a challenging set in the current market and very few coins with the right combination of originality, grade, price and eye-appeal are available.
Set highlights:
1896 PF-67
1898 PF-68
1900 PF-67
1901 PF 67+CAM
1903 PF 67+
1904 PF 67+
1913 PF 67+
1914 PF 67+
1915 PF 67+
Comments
Very sweet group of coins
Great set!
Those cost of those coins is quite intimidating. Here's my only Proof Barber half, pedestrian PR-64. It's part of a 1913 Proof set I put together years ago.
Good looking coin Bill. I like the date too. Proof mintage = 627!
@Eldorado9
Wow! That is impressive. Congratulations on a gorgeous collection of Barber Half Dollars. Thank you for shariing them with us. I know you are proud of this selection of Numismatic History, as you should be. Your 1901 and 1904 are so beautiful, they make me want one and I have never been a Barber fan. Again, thank you.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
Oh dude!!!!
Love them all. I don't think I've seen the 03 or the 15 yet. Both of them give me the sense of deep space.
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
These are amazing. Your collection represents tremendous discipline and patience paired with a terrific eye for originality. I am always happy when you share images of these wonderful coins. This series is near and dear to my heart, but I have always gravitated to the business strikes. I really enjoy looking at your pieces.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Simply stunning Barbers...
Here's my one and only
Your talking my language! Beautiful!
Thanks for the kind words Big Guy.....Yes the full gamut, proofs, business strikes, denominations.....Hell, I would love to have all of them! I've recently started to collect a few MS Halves....They are a very special field, and quite different from the proofs. Here is my 1907-d. Not a rare date, but she is pretty.
I
I'm feeling that buddy...Yup, they can take you far far away!
Nice coins, but on the flip side, Barbers make great circ cameos too.
Real nice looking coins!!!
You make it look easy. Those are very nice. Good luck on completion. Onwards!
Sensational
That 1907-D is a stunning coin. They are not rare in an absolute sense, but coins that look like this example are about as easy to catch as a shooting star. Congratulations on the MS pickup and please forgive the noise of my teeth gnashing together at the thought of these disappearing from available inventories.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Tom, that 07-d MS-67+ CAC is the former Dale Friend coin. It's not perfect, and I feel it's actually a tad bit over-graded, as some of the 67's out there are cleaner, but the eye-appeal is undeniably great! Of course, the 24 coin proof set is an absolute walk in the park, compared with the mammoth undertaking of putting these together in high grade MS. Duckor, Shireman deserve serious accolades.....I'm way too old to try to complete a MS state. I'd die before I made it 50% through! However, I can happily acquire a few here and there, and enjoy the heck out of them in the meantime. Thanks Again Buddy!
Always liked the Barber halves and quarters. Great design especially the reverse. Terrific coins posted here!
That is one dazzling set... wow! And I'm not a silver guy, either.
Simply gorgeous! Thanks for giving us insight into your collection and goals.
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
Lovely proofs, @Eldorado9 ! Thank you for sharing.
PCGS PR66, Ex. Newman-Green / NGC PR67
@rhedden That is a really pretty 1915, and I've not seen it before. One of my favorite dates in the set for sure. Proof mintage was 450! Bowers says maybe 30-40 survivors in PF-65 and above, of which yours would in the top echelon.
Glad you like it as much as I do. I scooped it at a discount in a Heritage auction a year after the Newman-Green sale. The pedigree was not advertised; I just remembered the coin from the previous sale.
I have two Newman-Green coins in my set that were probably brothers to your 1915 at one point.
@Eldorado9 - Those proofs are absolutely stunning! Congratulations!
My OmniCoin Collection
My BankNoteBank Collection
Tom, formerly in Albuquerque, NM.
You've convinced me, Eldorado9. I'm looking for one now. Thanks.
Gorgeous proof examples! Wow!
Update on my Barber Half proof set thread above: Added three coins recently, and now the GPA w/ Top Pop bonuses is up from 67.50 to 67.61. Hard to move that grade point! It's going to be a pretty unique set I think....Will likely slot into the #4 position on the Registry when completed. The 1892 and 1908 came out of Simpson, and the 1904 is a Gardner coin. Interestingly, the 1892 is the most common Proof, and the 1908 is the least common! They are all difficult these days if you ask me.
PF-67 CAM
PF-67+ CAM
PF-68
I don’t normally appreciate the barber series but every single example here proves I don’t know what I am talking about
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
One of my first coins coming back to the hobby after taking my teens-20s off to get laid was an 1915 proof half. It didn’t stick and I moved on but then again if wasn’t comparable to those. That is sort of the rub, even in mid grade choice proof they are only a fraction as nice as any of those
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
Wonderful coins and focus!
Looking for Top Pop Mercury Dime Varieties & High Grade Mercury Dime Toners.
PCGS PR65
PCGS PR64
PCGS PR64
Thanks guys. @Crypto Yeah, the 1915 proof is always a great coin with 450 minted. Most of the really good proofs these days are simply unobtainable, locked up in collections, so finding these coins is def. a process.
@rhedden Love those examples....Super nice! I need a 1902! That one has eluded me.
Love your latest 3 ... beautiful, stunning and captivating all!
I still think Radio Head
is my favorite of these three newbies
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
Thanks Big Guy! I'm going to commission you to name all 24 when it's complete! Radio head is transmitting back to her home planet.