While this doesn't really affect me right now, i've noticed a definite drop off of 19th centery type

barberlover · February 26, 2003 6:31AM

When i first got back in the hobby in late 99 i noticed the relative ease i had finding coins that i liked, but in the past 12 months the well has pretty much run dry.

Most of the coins i've seen at major auctions recently have left me feeling cold. The non proof barbers, for the most part at auctions look like absolute crap. Ad the few times in the past year I've tried to bid on any type coins that really impressesd me i've been blown out of the water. I wish i knew if this meant 19th century type coins are finally getting "hot" or if the really nice stuff has sooo much competition because theres so little of it up for sale right now. {not that i could buy it anyway right now} Just my observations recently.

Higashiyama · February 26, 2003 12:15PM

Barberlover -- I agree, but it seems that this has been especially true the last 3 - 4 months.

roadrunner · February 26, 2003 1:06PM

Finding a solidly graded barber, bust or seated type coin at auction is like a treasure hunt these days. Witness the PCGS MS66 1974-s quarter at FUN that brought $10,300 or pretty seated halves in MS65 fetching $3500. Nearly every MS Barber coin I see is mottled, overdipped, or just plain ugly. So I agree with you on this one.

Eventually when everyone realizes that the honestly graded coins are all gone, the price guides will finally have to react. The spread between a crappy MS65 and a solid one has been growing for years.
Yet the price guides only tend to report the crappy coin transactions.

roadrunner

michael · February 26, 2003 1:11PM

i totally agree barberlover also higa and roadrunner hit this also well with their astute comments

you will see seated type and especially so barbers get red hot in the next few or sooner years

also barberlover give me your e mail and i will e mail you some scans of really rare gem mintstare barbers that are monster toned the scans are not that great as the coins in person but the scans are all i gots!

the half i will send you is juat an original wjhiyte gem coin

the dime and quarter are monsters

could not post on here as pics are too big for this site

sincerely michael

also i will send you thwo star coin ms seated that ARE ALSO SUPERB GEM MS MONSTERS!

Elcontador · February 26, 2003 1:54PM

In the last 6 months, I was able to find some nice high grade Capped Bust & Reeded Edge material. Nice Unc. Barber coinage, especially the halves, have always been tough to find. I eventually gave up and bought proof coinage of this series.

High end with motto Seated type is available; the no motto material....that's a different story.

I'm going to Long Beach tomorrow, and I anticipate that I will return home without making any purchases, as I am looking for a no motto Seated Half in 5, and / or some nice RB high end old copper.

Bear · February 26, 2003 2:04PM

Actually I have found the seated Liberty with legend more available the barber Half Dollars.

the Barbers are all badly toned, soft struck or low end for the grade. If the coin looks great

then the price is overwhelming. Got some nice barber quarters in the last month but did not

find acceptable Barber Half Dollars. By the way, Michael hit the sale price of the superior Antetiam

on the head at 9500 dollars. I chased that coin up to 5000 but it just whizzed by me before I could

gather what wits I have left. Lovely coin but the final price plus 15 % seemed outragious.

michael · February 26, 2003 3:04PM

bear barber halves that are original with a thick white skin are really rare!!!!!!!!!!!

and in gem ALMOST NON EXISTant

that antitedum the buyer got it cheap i mean if it was in a wannabe 68 holder it would have been sold for 25k maybe more and then it would not have been a value buy

at 9500 it is a good eal and a value coin remember there are many commems that are not as greatly toned that sold for multiples of this coin 22 years ago!!!!!!!!!

the monster or great exceptional tobed comme market is still in its infancy and it is a well established market these monster commems are rare

i mean take a look at this boone and the toning you never ever see this on a boone with the lustre and eye appeal like this now thias coin needs to be sight see and when it is sight seen IT WILL BLOW YOU AWAY IT IS JUAT AS GOOD AS THE ANTITEUDM THAT SOLD for 9500 not including the juice!

that is why sight seen ngc gave this coin a 67 star and if in a 68 holder it would be acceptible to me

but lots better in a ngc 67* holder as it is really really REALLY NICE 67.9

AND BEAR you are tright about the barber halves like this attatched coin scan they really never look like this gem 65 pcgs coin white and totally original never dipped and much better in person!
the reverse is a stone 66 with the obverse a super rewally nice 65 you never ever see a coin like tjhis at all

undervalued sleeper rare and just sweet

but right now barbers are not reconized for these qualities as they are not hot and usually unseen as no one knows this as no one specializes in the nbarbers and does not look for these coins let alone see them like this to understand and apprecaite these coins

sincerely michael

michael · February 26, 2003 3:10PM

see with the barber half how it is that satiny charwheel white deep deep undipped surfaces clearly seen in the photos?

and you see the difference in other burned not original stripped white dipped coins posted on here pre 1900??

see the difference now the dipped stripped burned coins are not good nor bad just not for me and are actually unnatural and damaged

whereas this coin it totally original and sweet looking in person!

the deep deep surfaces just bursting to get out from underneath the thick skin!!!!!!!!!!!!!! usually not seen especially so with the white mostly off white untoned surfaces

but it took me 35 or so years of study and looking at coins to apprecaite let alone to see this type of coin i mean took me years to find this barber half

not at all common

super uncommon and a coin in person you cant stoplooking at

michael · February 26, 2003 3:14PM

if you find a barber like this coin in 65 pcgs and it is fully strucklike this coin and is fully original whiyte like this coin and is high end for the grade

buy it for any price as you will not see another soon !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and then you still got it cheap!

sincerely michael

one day the market will explode and you will be the winner

RELLA · February 26, 2003 4:27PM

Totally agree. What I have noticed is that for patient Seated (Type and Series) collectors the methodolgy of updating price guides is really working in favor of the collector right now. Many LQ (Low Quality) for the grade type or slightly better than type coins ARE trading hands publicly...and the price guides have enough data points to collect and show little or no movement. Meanwhile, semi-key coins trade so rarely that price guides usually do not reflect upward trends on these dates in a timely manner. Now is the time to make connections with established dealers who have a great eye for these coins, a fair buy-sell spread with quality coins being offered at or below price guide levels and an installed base of long-term customers who feed them fresh inventory. My list of "good" dealers on Seated material exceeds the number of coins I have in my collection and I have more than my share of opportunities to purchase solid or PQ coins for as little as 60% what most "market makers" would price them at. Now if I could just solve my cash-flow problems!

RELLA

barberlover · February 26, 2003 9:02PM

It's nice to know that there are a number of people that agree with me on whats been going on with barber coinage [especially the halves] one reason why i kept pursuing them was becuase in the late 80's when prices were sky high and going even higher was finding pieces that were original and even pq for the grade was not nearlly as difficult as it is now and in 1989 dollars a 9000 dollar type date 65 barber half was absolutley unaffordable for me, where as the same coin now is listed at 2200 on grey sheet in 2003 dollars if you factor in inflation over the last 14 years that makes the difference even greater.

Its also perfectly understandable from the point of view of the owner of a coin looking to sell it, your more willing to part with it if it will bring 9000 than if it will bring 2200. A good example of what i'm talking about in a less rare coin is proof buffalo nickels. 2 years ago type date proof 67 buffalos from 37 were auctioning for 1000 and now are going for 2500 or more [depending on eye appeal] and ever since the explosion in proof buffalo prices there have been huge numbers of proof buffalos for sale at the online auctions including the long beach show this week. If i still had my health [and my job] i would still be in pursuit of the barbers i saw in 88 and 89.

michael · February 27, 2003 4:44PM

proof buffs 1936 and 1937 are still great coins but they have to have extraordi9nary qualities like monster toning or part of a totally original set!

sincerely michael

for a white totally original high end pcgs ms 65 barber half 2200 is totally fantasy

you will not even get close to paying 2200 for something like i posted the pic of thst barber half!

sincerely michael

Elcontador · February 28, 2003 6:26AM

Thanks for the pic, Michael.

One thing I've notice re Unc. original type coins is that you'll typically find some sort of original toning on the coin. Michael's Barber Half is a good example of this, and I've seen a number of SLQs with a similar 'look.'

Just remember, if it's early 20th Century or prior and it's bright white, unless it was cracked out of
a GSA $ slab, it has probably been dipped.

michael · February 28, 2003 6:33AM

elcon you hit the nail on the head!

sincerely michael

myself i do not like dipped brite white type coins in mintstate pre 1950

it is stripped and not natural and also for thermost part after a few years does turn and then doesnot look as good with usually ugly to at best neutral eye appeal with the tell tail sings of a dipped stripped and then secondary retoning that you usually see on many white bright ms seatee coins at all the shows and no advanced collectors nor dealers really want except at aq price

the marketplace speaks for ther most part not desirable nor in demand

and even if there is demans the original toned or original white coins are then ten times hotter in demand and price

and a coin like the dipped stripped white pre 1950 coins really does not grow on you when you own them
and there is always something in the back oif your mind that just does not feel right

also just does have the extra ummpth for eye appeal

but again original white coins with a thick skin or originality are just not out there you csn find them with great eye appeal but it takes a long time and is usually strong money but it is all worrthit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sincerely michael

sincerely michael

barberlover · February 28, 2003 7:06AM

I couldn't agree more with your last statement more that original is better, as i said in another post, i deeply regret selling a totally original p.c.g.s. 65 1892 p barber half last year to raise some cash [you would have loved that one] blazing full luster showing thru the original toning, I don't know why i didn't choose another coin to sell!!!

Ronyahski · February 28, 2003 9:39AM

Me too Barberlover. I do think that there is just as much material coming onto the marketplace lately as there was, say 1 or 2 years ago. And I do think that there continues to be some quality 19th century type available, particularly in the auctions.

What I have seen is a much increased competition for these coins. The difference is one or two years ago you didn't feel nearly as much competition for these pieces as you do now. The sheets have not kept up on the high end.

Bailathacl · February 28, 2003 9:49AM

Having surveyed five different Boston area coinshops in the past couple of months, twenty cent pieces just aren't available. When one does come in the shop, it leaves pretty quickly. I may have to break down and buy <gasp> from the internet!

michael · February 28, 2003 1:51PM

i know waht you mean barberlover

i have in the past sold coins that i should have really kept!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

now also as an add on i am sure there are ewxcpetions

many brite white morgans from the gsa hordes and also from mint sealed bags and they may be blast whiyte but still have their original skins

and are not as dipped and stripped as those super duper blast white barbers and early pre 1835 silver coins like they were just struck today about two hours ago! you see lots and lots for sale for huge money! as they are graded gems ms 65 66 67!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rony you hit the nail on the head the sheets just do not reflect the price even close as to the real worth of these original white/toned eye appealling barbers and seated circ and ms coins

sincerely michael

While this doesn't really affect me right now, i've noticed a definite drop off of 19th centery type

Comments

Leave a Comment