i think it might come down to a strict interpretation of the number of full letters visible in LIBERTY? maybe that's why the OP posted the zoomed in photo of it, a hint perhaps?
1890'S barber halves are so hard to judge on just LIBERTY alone. That's why I posted the zoomed in photo. The coin has better than 20 details, especially for an 1894-O. I just wanted to prove, LIBERTY isn't everything in Barbers. :yes:
Yea, that makes sense on the higher grades of older dates. I have a decent starter set of barbers, with the best coins being solid Fine in grade. I defer to your expertise on these Log Potato!