Barber halfs, where do I start?

I'm a new collector of Morgans, but thinking about diving into Barbers...any suggestions about where to begin as far as dates, condition, what to stay away from? My budget is about $800 to $1,000 per month. Thanks.

 

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How many months do you plan on buying? If your time line is five years you could put together a decent set of certified mint state Barber Halves, except for the 1892 micro O, and a few others.

 

I would stick with Morgan dollars. If you can afford that much each month????
There is more opportunity that are in MS 63 or better.
My2c.

 

That's a healthy discretionary budget!

 

"Barber halfs, where do I start?"


uh, 1892?

 

Thanks, the Morgans in MS60 to 64 are more affordable and they damn sure look pretty!

 

thanks

 

Yeah, but I DO NOT, under any circumstances, let it interfere with my Bd Light budget!

 

I would put together a vf set.

 

Well, you could start from the other end and work backward.

In fact, if you like Daniel Carr's work, you could start from beyond the end and work backward.

 

That's your birth year, right Frank?

Sorry OP.......couldn't resist the pot shot.

 

Start here. https://www.davidlawrence.com/books/the-complete-guide-to-barber-halves/ Best book available on the series. A bit outdated for pricing, but the other information is still very relevant.

Also, along with TomB's article psted above, here is an article by Peter Shireman who currently has the Number #1 set at PCGS. http://www.hlrc.com/articles/BarberHalvesPeterShireman.pdf

Lastly, join the fraternity. http://www.barbercoins.org/ I own all but about 7 back issues of the journal, so if you are ever looking for something, I am sure I can find it.

My advice? Find some Barber collectors to lean on. Even before buying. Set your collecting goals (grade, condition etc.)

When you are ready to buy, don't buy junk, cleaned or damaged coins. (unless that's your thing. Wouldn't be very challenging though) Don't be afraid to pay up for the super nice tough dates. And knowing those dates ties into leaning on other collectors.

Kind of a quick post, but hopefully it was helpful.

 

If I were going to concentrate on a single series, I'd watch for patterns, off-center pieces, counterstamps, counterfeits, and mint errors too.

 

That is = to one MS63 per month. I'd love to buy a few 63/64's Barber Halves.

 

Thanks very much.

 

I'm really gonna get 'cha!

 

Patterns are pretty much out, unless one inherits the Smithsonian. Barber patterns are very rare.

Mint errors are also pretty rare, but they are out there. They usually bring big money.

There are plenty of counterfeits, new and old. Counterstamps seem to be available as well.