1893 Barber Half - Please estimate grade

I found this in a stash of things someone had it between glass....

I am curious what the grade would be?

Thank you so much!

 

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"between glass"?!?!?! well if it has not been cleaned I would say MS-64 (maybe the pictures just make it look washed out and 'very white')

 

What do you mean between glass?

 

They had it and a couple of other coins in like a picture frame - like they were storing them there, not glued in or anything - some of of the other ones were a few beautiful large cents - like they had been there forever and someone put them there a long time ago to store them....

 

I am never good with scans, but here is a WAG. It looks UNC if not, it's AU58. There doesn't seem to be any hairlines or whizzing effects. It does seem to have been dipped from it's bright whitish appearance. But there does look like some nice luster left.

 

Thanks for the replies - also is there some sort of die clash look above the banner on the right and left...

thoughts?

thanks!!!

 

I'd say AU-58 from these pics , if there's no wear no higher than 63 , especially with those scratches on her cheek . Also it looks cleaned and I really can't tell if there's much luster left . Still a nice find though .

 

I'd say cleaned, and not gently. Au details--harshly cleaned. Swirl marks on obverse indicating a polish job.

 

It looks like a scan and scans are very unforgiving when it comes to showing luster. The reverse looks fine enough and looks AU/MS. However, the obverse does appear to be dead and the scratches across the cheek of Ms. Liberty are a killer. If this is MS it is MS60/61, though it might be AU and may very well bag if submitted.

 

Look closely at the reverse as well. There are patchy scratches and pitting. It looks as if it were brushed when cleaned. I'd say a toothbrush and polish job. Most bright looking Barbers of this era have been cleaned. This one is a body bag "details" slab for sure. AU details, not MS.

 

I'm interpreting the reverse as having clashmarks and some mint luster. However, scans are a bear and I don't interpret the reverse as being scratched or pitted, but of course I could be incorrect.

 

AU+. cleaned

 

This is one of the reasons that slabbed MS Barbers of all species (dimes, quarters and halves) are so expensive relative to other coinage, given equivalent mintages. So many of them were cleaned back in the days--I mean, seriously cleaned, and not just a jewel luster dip. They were scrubbed with buffers, toothbrushes, and often even whizzed. Thus, probably 80% (just a guess at that number) are problem coins, and the true, beautiful coins demand high prices. TO the OP--that is a beautiful coin, but it does show a pretty obvious harsh cleaning.

Here is a MS 64 barber, from an auction that has gotten $2900. It is gorgeous. Look at the fields, and see how clean they are, and devoid of any marks:

 

I agree with AU details

 

Oh good grief! True confessions: I always thought she was a DUDE!

I did know that very mannish-looking women were considered beautiful in the 19th C. What was her name?

 

You mean the cap didn't give her away? I think Barber designed her in his own image.

Chris

 

Chris-
The 'Phrygian cap' wasn't gendered female, though. In Roman culture, Mithra & Attis and all the soldiers associated with this garb were male. Can you guess the gender of these models?

 

Nice find!

Coin looks AU to me too.

The top statue looks female and the lower looks more male.

 

IMO the coin in the photo looks AU50. Better photos would be good.

The photo makes the fields around STATES look grainy. If it is grainy, then look for other counterfeit diagnostics as it could also be from China.

 

That's how they look to me too , but I'll bet they're both guys . Or ugly women . lol