The Complete Guide to Barber Halves...

thisnamztaken · September 18, 2009 10:11AM

... by David Lawrence, is now available to read online, free of charge,
Here!

Perhaps some of the Barber half specialists here will comment on how current the information in it is (or isn't).

TomB · September 18, 2009 11:28AM

I never used the book for mint state or proof issues, but for circulated business strike coins it is a terrific book that mirrors quite well my experience.

ARCO · September 18, 2009 12:13PM

That was my bible for a few years. Pretty accurate still.

As for the R6 rating in the XF-AU, I would keep the 98-O up at the top slot (it is in the R5 cat. for F-VF already), add the 01-O and 04-O and remove the 04-S down to an R5 or R5+. I would probably make the 96-O and 01-S R5+

as for the big three 1913-1915 P mints having a R3 rating in G-VG? well they are tougher than the common dates, but ten times more available than the early 1890 dates. Of course, what does David Lawrence know having decades of experience and being one of the foremost experts in the series?

Oh, to add, there are many more 92-o micro O's than were previously believed, now totalling almost 50 I believe. Michael Flanagan did a fantastic job in a BCCS journal cataloging every example. I think it was MF?

Tyler

illini420 · September 18, 2009 12:51PM

Thanks for the link

Rampage · September 18, 2009 1:08PM

This is great! I don't know how to report it, but the link for the 1892-S has an error which will not allow the page to load. The error is that it has an extra http// in it. So, if you are trying to view it, just remove that and you will get to it.

mrearlygold · September 18, 2009 1:56PM

intence · September 18, 2009 2:24PM

very helpful. thanks!

PonyExpress8 · September 18, 2009 3:00PM

Thank you very much for this link. Most kind to post it.

Interesting thoughts Tyler. I generally agree with your comments but I do have a couple of differences based upon my experiences. Hope we meet at a show somewhere soon as I it would be a great discussion. Get a roundtable with Dr. Pete and MFH and Dan. That would be a lot of fun.

Thanks very much again Jim.

thisnamztaken · September 18, 2009 6:22PM

<< <i>Thank you very much for this link. Most kind to post it.
Thanks very much again Jim.

>>

My pleasure, and thanks to Tyler for the additional input, CoinNews.net for the heads up about it, and to StellaCoinNews.com for offering it free.

If you click on their "Reference Books" tab you'll see all the other free "Complete Guides" they have posted there, including Wiley & Bugert's "Complete Guide to Liberty Seated Half Dollars"!

Other titles that are supposed to be coming soon to Stella news include:

The Complete Guide to Certified Barber Coinage

The Complete Guide to Shield & Liberty Head Nickels

The Complete Guide to Liberty Seated Half Dimes

MFH · September 18, 2009 10:40PM

Thanks for the link, Jim. Its a great help for all of those collectors who wanted
this book but found out it was out of print and no plans on a second edition.

I "bought the book before I bought the coin..." I picked up a decent library
of reference books from JJ Teaparty before I started buying in earnest.

Tyler, I let my BCCS subscription lapse a year or two ago and I missed
that issue about the micro O's. Do you have the issue #...I can order
a copy from the BCCS. Thanks.

My upcoming show schedule is sparce - but I'll be at FUN this January
and the ANA in Boston this August.

Also, the BCCS has meetings planned for these shows anyway. Maybe a group
of us can meet then ?

InYHWHWeTrust · September 19, 2009 1:55PM

Got this copy (hardback) from Bookfinder.com and had a nice surprise with DL's signature inside-- not in the listing. So then I decided to find a softcover 'working' copy to actually use, which I still do refer to from time to time (supplemented by the BCCS survey of 07).

Barberman55 · September 19, 2009 10:51PM

Hey guys,

I always found the David Lawrence Barber quarter and half books fairly easy to find, but the dime book has been impossible for me. Links to the half book is great though, especially when the book isn't readily available.

The 1908-S Barber half has been talked about pretty frequently as one of those tougher date's, and from my experiences collecting Barber halves, I've probably seen fewer 08-S's in the VF-AU grades than any other date.

I'm looking forward to a future show, and BCCS meeting, where I can finally meet alot of my fellow Barber collectors. I would have been attending the upcoming Philly show, but my wife just had an operation on Thursday and will be recuperating for some time.

Go Jets!!!!!!!!

MFH · September 20, 2009 12:06AM

Finding a hardcover Barber Half book is a real coup !!

DavidLawrence · September 25, 2009 10:49AM

Thanks for the positive feedback. I'm really glad you all are enjoying the access to these books and I know my father would be honored as well. His books were a real labor of love!

p.s. Rampage: thanks for the error feedback. I fixed the bad link to the 1892-S.

LindeDad · September 25, 2009 11:06AM

Added link to my favorites thanks.

Broadstruck · September 25, 2009 11:08AM

<< <i>Finding a hardcover Barber Half book is a real coup !! >>

newbarberguy · October 1, 2009 12:20PM

I bought the book several years ago and read it cover to cover...with lots of dog-eared corners. Terrific primer for newbies...of which I was one...but after having been on the "hunt" for a couple of years now, the rarity ratings should be revised. The BCCS did a survey a while back but I'm not sure it's all that accurate. There are clearly coins that are rated as R1/R2 that should probably be R5/R6 at least in the XF category. It was a terrific primer...but it's outdated now. Thanks to David Lawrence in putting this together...but for avid collectors it's outdated.

rld14 · October 1, 2009 12:48PM

Reading it now!

I agree that the 98-O ought to be moved up in the rarity ratings, but truth is, with few exceptions there's only a handful that AREN'T R3s in VF

The Complete Guide to Barber Halves...

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