Selections From The Eldorado Collection - Barber Half Dollars
FlyingAl
Posts: 3,307 ✭✭✭✭✭
I remember doing a Christmas Eve post a couple years ago about a lovely 1942 Proof Quarter that I had bought, and I figured that this year it would be fun to do something similar but still distinctly different. As such, I feel that this would be a good way to do it. The below will read similar to an auction catalog, but hopefully with a tad more information than is generally present in a short description. I've only chosen a few of the best of Eldo's coins, but this should give a good idea of what an incredible assemblage of coins he has managed to assemble.
And most importantly - Merry Christmas!
I give you - Selections From The Eldorado Collection - Barber Half Dollars
A Beautifully Toned 1892 Proof Half Dollar
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A wonderful PR67+CAM example of the 1892 Barber half, this coin shows incredible color and contrast. Ex. Simpson, this coin really does "have it all". Minor hairlines are present on the obverse, but the sheer eye appeal overwhelms them. Deep purples and greens meld with oranges and reds to produce a wonderful canvas of color, rivaled by only the best of Barber Proofs. The strike is strong, but this example does show some slight weakness in the right wing. PCGS pop of 4/0 finer.
1892 proved to be a repeat of several other induction years for new coin designs, with collectors flocking to the Mint for examples of the Barber half dollar. Proofs could be purchased at a small premium over face value at quantities specified by the collector, and it was an easy way to obtain a high quality example of the design for collections. The mintage reflects this, with a series high 1,245 examples being struck. Quality for the 1892 Proof half is generally decent, but not exceptional. Mirrors often lacked depth and the Mint appears to have struggled with attaining a full strike, especially on the reverse right wing. Additionally, the Mint appears to have overlooked a slight doubling on the reverse for a large portion if not all of the Proof strikings. This is most easily noted on the left period separating UNITED from HALF on the reverse. Quality for Proof halves would generally peak in 1898, and decrease for the series after that point. Contrast for 1892 halves in Proof is not uncommon, but Superb Gems with CAM or DCAM surfaces are rare. This is a popular type coin, but like all high grade Proof Barber halves it is not easy to obtain in the upper ends of the grading scale.
Provenance - Simpson-Eldorado
A Stunning MS67 CAC 1905-O Rarity
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Boom! Incredible luster and color hits you in the face when viewing this incredible MS67 CAC example. Graded both in OGH and a modern PCGS holder as 67, this coin remains one of the finest examples for the date. Rarely seen luster mixes with reds, greens, and blues on the obverse, and light russet and purples shine on the reverse. Very few marks are present, and the strike is exceptional for the date. Light pull away tone can be seen on the obverse and reverse periphery.
This PCGS pop 3/2 1905-O is a gorgeous example of the New Orleans production for 1905. 505,000 half dollars were struck at that facility, and that figure is among the lowest for any mint marked Barber half dollar. Luster and strike are generally poor for the 1905-O, making finding any attractive example a challenge. In grades above MS64, this date becomes a challenge and it is especially tough to find in high grade with attractive eye appeal. The present example delivers on all fronts, and is among the most attractive examples for the date. A superb gem example of this date is a major milestone for any collection to achieve.
Provenance - Hugon-BryceM-Eldorado
Sole Finest 1907 Half
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Incredible. There is only one word that can be used to describe this unicorn of a 1907 - no other coin even comes close to the quality of this coin, with PCGS reporting MS66+ as the next closest grade. This MS67+ CAC shows what a truly gorgeous Barber Half dollar looks like. No major marks to speak of are present, and incredible original toning graces both sides of the coin. Rainbow colors are found prominently on the reverse, and the eye appeal is simply off the charts. The strike is strong and presents the design beautifully.
A storied coin, this is the famous coin that Dr. Shireman's wife won for him by a cut bid. As quoted from Heritage auctions:
"This coin was saved by a collector active in the 1930s and 1940s who saved coins in paper envelopes. A former judge in the Pacific Northwest, he did not build complete collections, but found nice coins and put them away. This 1907 half was later graded and then consigned to the 2004 FUN auction. This story helps illustrate how seemingly random it was for most individual Barber half dollars to make it from the late 1890s and early 1900s to today in gem or better condition. A coin has to beat all odds to make it that long without damage, and to maintain good eye appeal."
Dr. Shireman explained "his" bidding strategy:
"This was the one coin I really wanted from Dr. Duckor's set. The bidding for this coin at the Heritage 2010 ANA auction in Boston was going past where I was really comfortable, but my wife, sitting next to me and attending her first ever coin auction, asked me if I wanted the coin. I muttered and nodded my head ever so slightly; she grabbed the paddle from my hand, put it up, and voila, it was ours. Not just a bid, but a cut-bid. She caught on fast! Others watching found this mini-drama quite amusing."
The provenance to a judge in the Pacific Northwest could not be confirmed, but there appears to be no reason to doubt it. It explains the single existence of a wonderfully high grade example, and the tone is consistent with long term storage in a paper envelope. This coin remains one of the finest Barber half dollars in existence, and its eye appeal is incredible. 1907 was a condition rarity year for Barber halves, and this status continues for several of the later date Barber issues. Superb gem examples are effectively limited to this example, and it is without a doubt the finest known 1907.
Provenance - Duckor-Shireman-Eldorado
Incredible Pairing of Two Scarce Barber Dates
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The 1907-S and 1908-S dates are generally considered to be more difficult dates in the Barber series. However, this rarity becomes extremely pronounced in the higher echelons of the grading scale, with superb gems being nearly impossible to locate. To have one of these two dates in a gem grade is an accomplishment, but having both dates in MS67 is a feat that only the best Barber collections can hope to achieve. The storied Eliasberg collection once held both of these coins, and they remain in the OGH holders with that provenance displayed. Both of these coins were likely originally sourced directly from the Mint by Clapp, although this could not be confirmed.
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The 1907-S is a stunning MS67 CAC example, pedigreed to the Eliasberg collection. This coin is bested only by the Akers/Duckor MS67+, which likely now resides in a CACG holder. This particular example is the only MS67 stickered at CAC, but what truly sets this piece apart is its technical quality. A light russet tone characteristic of the Eliasberg coins is accented by splashes of color near the rim, and a slight tone pull-away near the date practically screams of this coin's originality. No major marks are noted, and only a few minor scuffs and spots appear in hidden areas. The strike is nearly flawless. The April 1997 sale of the Eliasberg collection noted that this coin could possibly be the finest known for the date. This particular coin is condition census #2.
1907 proved to be a decent year for Barber half dollars, with a mintage of 1.25 million pieces at San Fransisco. While not exceptionally high, this mintage was also not exceptionally low. The San Francisco Mint appeared to still be recovering from the 1906 earthquake, which likely contributed to a somewhat average mintage of half dollars. The Philadelphia, Denver, and New Orleans Mints picked up the slack, producing an additional 10.4 million half dollars for the year. What makes this date exceptional is that very few coins were evidently saved, forcing this date into a low overall condition - nearly all of these coins are concentrated near the VF grade. In MS, they start to become truly rare, and in superb gem they are almost unheard of.
Provenance - Eliasberg - Larry H. Miller - Eldorado Collection
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The present MS67 CAC example exhibits slightly stronger tone than the 1907-S, but that is a net positive as the color is more pronounced and attractive. There are very few if any marks present, and only minor spots are buried in the design. A strong strike and brilliant luster show through, and overall this is an incredible example of the date. CAC reports one stickered 1908-S, this coin. NGC reports a lone MS67, and PCGS reports two. In the Eliasberg sale from April 1997 (Bowers and Merena), this coin was described as a Gem MS65, and was noted to be far finer than what is usually encountered. This coin is condition census #1.
The 1908-S is in the same rarified air as the 1907-S. The San Fransisco mint struck 1.764 million halves in 1908, and again very few were saved. This date/mintmark pair quickly thins out in the population reports around MS65. Quality of 1908-S halves is generally very good, with some characteristic weakness in the upper right shield and feathers.
Provenance -Possibly Clapp-Eliasberg -Larry H. Miller-Eldorado
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I hope you all enjoyed that trip through some numismatic rarities as much as I did. It is an incredible accomplishment to be able to assemble such an amazing selection of Barber half dollars, and this is only a very small portion of what makes the Eldorado collection so incredible. As time goes on, I will likely add more coins to this thread, and I'm sure that @Eldorado9 himself will be sure to make a few comments on his sets.
Coin Photographer.
Comments
I saw the Duckor Barber Half Registry Set close to twenty years ago. Attractive Unc. Barber Halves are scarce. Duckor's (a few of which he acquired from Dale Friend) were by far the nicest set of these coins I've ever seen.
"Seu cabra da peste,
"Sou Mangueira......."
Always amazes me that coins like this have survived. Stunning indeed. Thanks for posting and Merry Christmas.
@FlyingAl What a treat buddy! I am bookmarking this, and someday in the future, these will go to a new owner, and I'll tell the auction company, no need to write anything, or take any photos....I had it done by a real professional.....FlyingAL! Beautiful work buddy....and I can very much appreciate the research that you did on these....Very evident! Merry Christmas to all.
Thank you for the descriptive title...I went and put a bib on before I clicked open the thread!
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
I apologize for the delay between my first and second posts. I had to go out and take a blowtorch to my accumulation of Barber halves after seeing these images. Here is a shot of the molten blob that represents what had been my coins-
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
Eldo - WOW! WOW! WOW!!!!!!! (the system does not allow for a larger font size).
Merry Christmas!
Steve
My collecting “Pride & Joy” is my PCGS Registry Dansco 7070 Set:
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/type-sets/design-type-sets/complete-dansco-7070-modified-type-set-1796-date/publishedset/213996
Amazing looking coins!
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Thanks for posting @FlyingAl and thanks for some great eye candy @Eldorado9 my Barber pal!
Truly amazing! Merry Christmas!
Doug
Thanks Guys! And Merry Christmas!
That must have been a real thrill. Would have loved to have seen the Duckor set in person. It was a hell of an achievement over 20 years I believe. I keep the auction catalog within arm's reach.