The owner of this coin has offered it to me for $170. Should I pull the trigger? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250753574703&ssPageName=ADME:X:BOCOR:US:1123 Thanks for your time and expertise!
Ummm? There are very large pictures of the obverse and reverse listed on the auction. Seems like a good deal but is almost full retail. I think you could get it for less. EDIT: Welcome to Cointalk by the way!!
http://www.pcgs.com/PRICES/PriceGuideDetail.aspx?MS=1&PR=1&SP=1&c=732&title=Barber+Half+Dollar http://www.pcgscoinfacts.com/CoinDetail.aspx?s=6525&redir=t This should help.
That's probably about as cheap as you're going to find a PCGS XF Barber Half. On the other hand, the 12-D is almost certainly the easiest date to find in VF-XF. It's a great date as a type coin and can usually be bought for $200 or less. Even though this is probably the easiest date to find in VF-XF, that doesn't make it a common coin, no Barber Half is in this condition.
I'm not sure how that coin made its way into a holder. The auction has large images that clearly show harsh cleaning.
I'd want to see it in hand first, but it doesn't look scrubbed to me. All circ Barber Halves show hairlines, the question is do they all run in the same direction? Coin looks nice to me, I like it.