Marry a Barber Quarter!

I thought it would be fun to post some photos of some raw coins and then ask the members of the forum to pick the coin they would most want to have. The only condition is that you can never sell the coin. You must keep it until you die and it becomes part of your estate. The only information about the coin will be the date/mm. You guys must do your own homework on this one. Grade the coins yourselves, look up the values of the coins, and make your choice.

Posted below are four different Barber Quarters. Please use the attached poll and vote for the coin you would most like to marry (until death do you part). To make the thread more interesting, please provide written commentary explaining your choice.

Barber Quarter 1897-O
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Barber Quarter 1900
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Barber Quarter 1908-D
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Barber Quarter 1909





I got news for ya, I ain't marrying the ugly chick.

 

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As this is precisely how I buy ALL my coins (no grade, value, or anything known), it really didn't take me long to decide. Gorgeous coins.

 

I have some really bad news for you.

Forget the quarters: I choose Paulina Porizkova.

If I must choose, I take the 1900.

Bah.

 

I'll take that 1897-0

 

1897-o

 

09.. I like the eye appeal of the coin

 

Paul, In all honesty and given the choices, I would marry the 1897-O without a doubt.

Why? Well, my gal's gotta have experience and that comes from maturity (she's the earliest of the available Barbers, or should I say Babes), though she may be missing a tooth (denticle/rim nick on the reverse), been handled roughly and probably sought the security in restoring her former glory with some cosmetic improvements (a cleaning), I don't think she went so far as to seek surgery (tooling or putty) and has begun to return to her previous status (re-toning) if not a little grayer than before... All the same, she still has an ability to attract a fella with her solid impression (good strike) and has a colorful personality if not a little 'blue' from time to time. My gal is Miss. Liberty, an all American WOMAN from now till the grave and death do us part.

 

Well I voted - you need to add a bigamist option. And nope I have to pass on that 1897-O. The very first thing I noticed on it was the rim damage. And while I think all 4 are nice, and none would be kicked out of my collection, I went with the lusterous, eye appealing 1900.

 

I don't know, these "ladies" are kind of manly for my taste :bigeyes:.

But if I had to pick one, I'd take the '09, best looking one in my opinion, and the youngest too (only 100!).

The '97's color is a little to fake for me, and that bump on her back isn't pretty.

The 1900's face is a little too rough.

And the '08 is nice from the front, but the behind isn't as good.

 

I voted for the '09 because its a nice original EF-AU and that is the grade in which I buy my type coins. The '09 is a genuinely nice piece that I'd be proud to own.

 

I voted for miss liberty circa 1908 from Denver. When I see her I see the stars come out (well 13 stars anyway)

 

1900. It was 109 years ago when she heard the beginnings of jazz floating through the streets of New Orleans. How she enjoyed the lustrous sound and the sight of shimmering saxophones during the smoky moonlit night. A year later, Roosevelt becomes president and finds her well struck into the ground in front of the white house. He carefully gives her a drink of cold water and dabs her dry. But, easy come, easy go, and Roosevelt learned this the hard way by tearing his trousers! Days later, a paper boy picks her up, and it's his lucky day, he finds twenty-five whole cents! He keeps her stuffed in his pocket, never to see circulation again. She's tossed into his drawer mixed in with some old Indians.

Now the year is 1942, and Roosevelt is still president, except it's Frankie and not Theo running the place. Now, paper boy has gotten older and is sending his son off to the front lines. As a parting gift father passes quarter to son. They embrace, and she is squished in the young mans fist. The young soldier treks on through the war and comes home...empty handed. His old pack was left in France near Normandy and a beautiful young women finds it. She looks through it and finds the young man's photo, and an intriguing silver quarter. She takes both and stows them away.

It's 1975, and the young lady arrives in the United States to start a new beginning after loosing her job and loosing her house. She arrives in New York and spends many days traveling to California, a flight would burn a whole in her wallet so the train is the way to go. Right off the train, she is famished so she stops by a diner where the war veteran's son is working. The only American money she has is the 75 year old quarter so she spends it. The son receives it, pockets it, and tosses a clad quarter in the till. He comes home and shows his father his find. The coin looks awfully familiar to him.

The son, now in his fifties, is rejoicing in the coming of the new millennium, but it is a bittersweet moment due to his father's passing. 3, 2, 1...HAPPY NEW YEAR screams him and his family. Two kinds of tears stream trickle from his eyes, thankfully not near the 100 year old quarter stashed in his cigar box.

Finally, it's 2000 something and the man's mischievous teenage son is snooping through his father's things and finds the old quarter. "Wow, this thing must be rare" exclaims the teen. In a minute he's off to the coin shop where he gets 5x face value for the coin, a great deal in his mind. Now comes along a toned coin collector who spots a neat, slightly marked barber quarter. It's not toned, but at $45, it's a steal so he picks up the coin. He has no idea what kind of history is behind the quarter, but now the mischievous teen's responsible younger brother is telling what story is behind that 1900 quarter and he knows his father would like his quarter back

 

I really like this thread

I'll take the 1909. Why? first I love the eye-appeal of the obverse, just beautiful. Also, this is the grade I most appreciate (AU/high end EF). Finally, because I am wanting to build a 1909 set in precisely this condition.

Second choice, the 1900. I like this for it's very nice detail, and think it would make a nice type coin, but the fine scratches on the neck are really distracting for me.

Third, 1908-D. Nice coin but the marks (fingerprint?) on Liberty' cheek, and the toning spots on the reverse would drive me nuts. I'd have a hard time appreciating this coin.

Last, 1897-O. Color is uneven, splotchy on the obverse. Distracting rim ding on reverse. I'd buy this coin at the right price to flip, and thats about it.

 

Now, I don't think you can pimp your wife out like that... :bigeyes:

 

I'm not pimping her out, I'm selling her outright :mouth: (I'd better be careful now...my wife sometimes stands behind me and reads what I'm posting...)

 

All I own are P's OS, so not likely I'd ever own anything like that. Marriages to coins hardly ever work out either.

 

You are probably right about that Tom. If you get mad at her, you can just spend the b****. Not a recipe for a long lasting relationship.

 

You can spend her on another woman too! Man will they be angry at that move!

 

Surprise, surprise, I'm picking the 1909

Not just because of the date, but I just like the overall eye appeal/originality best. Sure, it's most likely not the most valuable, but if I can't ever sell it anyways then value doesn't matter to me.

The 1897-O looks really well struck, but that gouge on the rim would always bother me. The 1900 just isn't in the same league as the 1909, it's got way too many distracting marks. The 1908 also seems to have an odd toning to it which doesn't appeal to me. But that's mostly just being picky about it, all of them are pretty sweet ladies :thumb:

 

Oh man! That 1897-O is hot! I wanna take her home with me, put her in my collection. Don't worry, I got 2x2's as protection
LOL

Very nice thread Paul! Very creative.