Home› U.S. Coin Forum

Why is it so hard to find BUST HALVES...

AU58WALKERSAU58WALKERS Posts: 3,562 ✭
in U.S. Coin Forum
...that have not been messed with?
A fellow member asked me this question.
What are your opinions?
"Everyday above ground is a good day"

Comments

  • ziggy29ziggy29 Posts: 18,668 ✭✭✭
    Partially I think it's because the people who have them aren't selling them. The usual dipped-out widgets, on the other hand, keep coming back up like last night's burrito.
  • fengkfengk Posts: 376
    yeah, and the ones that are selling are going for moon money. In the 70's, wasn't dipping recommended by many dealers? It could have been that a lot of the original coins back down were dipped, and that's what's on the market today.
  • p8ntp8nt Posts: 2,947 ✭✭✭
    image I could have sworn this thread was about Barber halves.. image
  • BearBear Posts: 18,953 ✭✭✭
    The Bust Half dollar was a work horse coin in its day.

    It bought anything from a full meal to many other useful

    items like 10 be3rs. They were minted during hard economic times for most folks

    and thus, it was most difficult to save and preserve such a high monitary

    coin. Often , a quality AU-58 will be more desireable in appearance then

    an average mint state coin.



    By the way, the pictured coins are really ugly. Please send them to me for

    disposal.
    image
    There once was a place called
    Camelotimage
  • stmanstman Posts: 11,352 ✭✭✭✭✭
    My short reply is most indeed have been boinked with. When you find one that hasn't...... one needs to know it right away, and be prepared to pull the trigger quick, and pay the price. This will gain ownership, and help beat out the competition. So I've heard anyway.image

    One also needs to buy the coin and not be so concerned about what flavor holder (if one at all) and what grade is on the holder. Just my worthless opinion.
    Please... Save The Stories, Just Answer My Questions, And Tell Me How Much!!!!!
  • AU58WALKERSAU58WALKERS Posts: 3,562 ✭


    << <i>My short reply is most indeed have been boinked with. When you find one that hasn't...... one needs to know it right away, and be prepared to pull the trigger quick, and pay the price. This will gain ownership, and help beat out the competition. So I've heard anyway.image

    One also needs to by the coin and not be so concerned about what flavor holder (if one at all) and what grade is on the holder. Just my worthless opinion. >>



    This is one worthless opinion that I agree with.
    "Everyday above ground is a good day"

  • slumlord98slumlord98 Posts: 1,180 ✭
    There are several reasons why most all early type has been processed in one form or another. First, it was popular to do so into the 70s. Read a Numismatic Scrapbook magazine from the 50s or 60s and there seems to be an inordinate amount of ads for cleaning products. Bright was in, dirt was not. When the Pratt quarter and half eagles were introduced, there was more than one prediction that the coins would spread disease; that one needed to keep one's coin collection clean wasn't much of a stretch. Remember the arsenic tale? I wonder if there are any old timers left who still swear by it? The Economite coins were cleaned after discovery, and these represent a sizeable portion of the lower circulated coins in the trade. Even today, original coins are processed to make them more attractive to a wider market, because not all original coins are considered attractive. As time goes on, I'm not sure if attractive original coins will continue to escalate in value, but I'm not processing mine.

    Below are three coins that have been together for about 150 years. They were bought from a probate sale by a former BHNC member and acquired separately at auction by me. When sold, they will go to someone who will hopefully appreciate them and keep them together. And not process them!

    image
    image

    image

    image
    image
  • MyqqyMyqqy Posts: 9,777 ✭
    I think that the unrealistic desire for white coins has done more damage to numismatics than any other form of ignorance...
    My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable !
  • zap1111zap1111 Posts: 1,298 ✭✭
    Slumlord,

    Beautiful coins! A real pleasure to see them.

    Is that doubling on the 1824 left upper wing?
    zap1111
    102 capped bust half dollars - 100 die marriages
    BHNC #198
  • slumlord98slumlord98 Posts: 1,180 ✭
    Good eye, zap! A reverse double profile. This die marriage is known with this feature, which has led some to speculate that the reverse die may have been the hammer die. Please turn on your PM function!
  • CladiatorCladiator Posts: 18,252 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Old age and popularity combine for the odds of finding an unboinked with Bust Half low. Few survivors.

    Slumlord, those halfs are freakin' nice!
  • coinlieutenantcoinlieutenant Posts: 9,320 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I have just a few left...and even them, only a handful that are true original.

    I have none left that are powdery grey original like Brad's. In fact, I think I sold that 1814 to you didnt I?

    siliconvalleycoins.com

  • slumlord98slumlord98 Posts: 1,180 ✭
    No, you never offered it to me.
  • coinlieutenantcoinlieutenant Posts: 9,320 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I was talking to Bill. image I didnt think you were interested...image

    siliconvalleycoins.com

  • AU58WALKERSAU58WALKERS Posts: 3,562 ✭


    << <i>I was talking to Bill. image I didnt think you were interested...image >>



    TWAS ME!image
    "Everyday above ground is a good day"

  • GoldenEyeNumismaticsGoldenEyeNumismatics Posts: 13,187 ✭✭✭
    because they have been around for a long time... more time to have them be messed with!
  • prenumprenum Posts: 254
    Bust halves were the work horse of commerce in their day. That's why the BNHC have so many in VG - VF to attribute! image

    Plus, these coins have passed through almost 200 yrs. of coin collectors/dealers/doctors and all their ploys & fads. It's amazing that there are any original busties out there (but there are!).

    Finding truely original gems is very, very difficult and I believe one of the best investments in numismatics. Several very low key individuals are putting these away.

    Finding choice AU58 (MS64 with a trace of rub) is also very difficult. Wouldn't it be nice to see an entire set in this condition!!?? image
    Don Willis
    Premium Numismatics, Inc.
    myurl
    800-596-COIN
  • slumlord98slumlord98 Posts: 1,180 ✭


    << <i>Finding choice AU58 (MS64 with a trace of rub) is also very difficult. Wouldn't it be nice to see an entire set in this condition >>



    Nice, but absolutely impossible!
  • mozinmozin Posts: 8,755 ✭✭✭
    I have no problem collecting dipped AU58 Bust Half Dollars---so long as the surfaces are clean and the luster is full. Certainly, I prefer beautiful original toning, but that costs extra.image
    I collect Capped Bust series by variety in PCGS AU/MS grades.
  • MikeKingMikeKing Posts: 847
    It would be even nicer to see a complete set in VF-XF condition.
  • majorbigtimemajorbigtime Posts: 2,937 ✭
    You must be "looking for love in all the wrong places".

    Around here, the halves are the most plentiful bust type available.
  • AuldFartteAuldFartte Posts: 4,597 ✭✭✭✭
    Holy image Slumlord, those Bust Halves are incredible !!! image

    I'd love to get my hands on an un-messed-with AU-58 image
    image

    My OmniCoin Collection
    My BankNoteBank Collection
    Tom, formerly in Albuquerque, NM.
  • JRoccoJRocco Posts: 14,277 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Hey slumlord,
    Nice coins----I believe those are showing some nice old "Grey Dirt"
    When I was a kid collecting coins, coins that had they old or grey dirt look to them were considered "dirty" by many many collectors, the reason why many were cleaned I am sure. I remember growing up in Brooklyn and always hearing about how you could get diseases from coins (remember the incuse gold Indian problems). Different world back then and we have to remember that these coins survived tough times in our history. I am sure a few coins were "washed" during the Spanish Flu Epidemic in 1918 for example.
    I always thought that grey dirt look came from layer upon layer of dust settling on the coins surface---that is what I thought as a kid at least.
    Sorry--I am babbling--Nice coins slumlordimage
    Some coins are just plain "Interesting"
  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 23,843 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I think Bust Halves that are original are easier to find than original Seated Dollars

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • MikeKingMikeKing Posts: 847
    gosh, seated dollars are hard to find in any condition!

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Format
SpoilerCodeQuote
Heading 2Heading 1
Emoji
:):D:(;):/:o:s:p:'(:|B):#:*<3o:)>:)
Url
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file
Home • U.S. Coin ForumComment As ...