GTG poll (guess the grade) 1892 Barber half dollar

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by lordmarcovan, Aug 4, 2026 at 3:24 AM.

?

Guess the TPG grade

  1. MS66

    1 vote(s)
    5.0%
  2. MS65

    4 vote(s)
    20.0%
  3. MS64

    6 vote(s)
    30.0%
  4. MS63

    4 vote(s)
    20.0%
  5. MS62

    3 vote(s)
    15.0%
  6. MS61

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  7. MS60

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  8. AU58

    2 vote(s)
    10.0%
  9. AU55

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  10. Other/details/etc. (specify in your post)

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    These are cellphone photos, not professional shots, so we're working within those limitations, here.

    The coin is mostly white, with the peripheral toning you see, and some decent luster which doesn’t entirely show in these images.

    05-obv.png 06-rev.png
     
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2026 at 3:40 AM
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  3. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    Being conservative, and based on these photos, if I was seeing this coin blind, in someone else’s GTG thread, I’d likely guess one point lower than the actual grade (so that's how I voted in the poll, pretending I didn't know the answer). The fact that the luster doesn’t entirely come through is a factor in that.

    Edit: here is an admittedly low-quality GIF to show the luster somewhat.

    IMB_vgvtWB.gif
     
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2026 at 5:11 AM
  4. ToughCOINS

    ToughCOINS Dealer Member Moderator

    I voted MS64 before seeing the GIF. I thought I saw meaningful marks on the coin, but they don't detract . . . I think it's more likely an MS65.
     
    ldhair and lordmarcovan like this.
  5. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    Seeing the luster (at least imperfectly in the GIF) does make a difference, I reckon.

    In hand, it's a bright beauty.
     
    Spark1951 likes this.
  6. Randy Abercrombie

    Randy Abercrombie Supporter! Supporter

    I am min the MS65 camp.
     
    Spark1951 and lordmarcovan like this.
  7. ldhair

    ldhair Clean Supporter

    I was at 64 as well but change it to 65 after seeing GIF.
     
    lordmarcovan likes this.
  8. Mr. Numismatist

    Mr. Numismatist Strawberry Token Enthusiast

  9. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    The CoinTalk consensus so far is running a bit higher than that in the parallel thread on Collectors Universe. But some people over there have guessed correctly.

    (Spoiler): So far, nobody here has (including myself, because I pretended not to know the answer and graded my poll vote like I would have guessed if I saw these pics in someone else’s poll.)

    But the poll only has six votes as of this typing.
     
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2026 at 9:09 AM
    Mr. Numismatist likes this.
  10. ksmooter61

    ksmooter61 Not in Kansas anymore

  11. Spark1951

    Spark1951 Accomplishment, not Activity

    After the GIF I, too, changed to MS65. It likely graded MS63, but the GIF illustrates the luster. Very nice!…Spark
     
  12. Anthony Mazza

    Anthony Mazza Well-Known Member

  13. KBBPLL

    KBBPLL Well-Known Member

    Well if it’s not 64 or 65… I can’t see it as 63 or AU so…
     
    SensibleSal66 and lordmarcovan like this.
  14. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    I might do the reveal after there have been 20 or so votes in the poll. I count 11 so far.
     
    Randy Abercrombie likes this.
  15. Dynoking

    Dynoking Well-Known Member

    Wow, just wow! Congratulations!
     
  16. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    This is a tough one!
    Strike - nothing to write home about, but not terrible. 3 out of 5

    Luster - in the pictures, not seeing a lot. The gif looks like it has decent luster. 4 out of 5

    Eye appeal - that dipped and retoned look is not for me, but it isn't bad. 3 out of 5

    Contact marks - first off I'll say, I'm not detecting any wear in the pictures or the gif. I don't think it's AU based on what I'm seeing. One the one hand, I'm not seeing a large number of contact marks - but on the other, I'm interpreting many of the "shiny spots" in the pictures as marks. 3.5 out of 5?

    It is nearly impossible to accurately grade the coin with the information provided, so I'll really just give a 63-64? I voted 63 in the poll.
     
  17. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic numismatist Moderator

    Thanks for that detailed analysis, and sorry my mediocre photog skills weren’t quite up to the challenges presented by this one.
     
    Randy Abercrombie likes this.
  18. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    Haha, don't feel too bad... shooting with a cellphone can be pretty dang hard!
     
  19. mark_h

    mark_h Somewhere over the rainbow

    Here is my reasoning for voting 63. In the first pictures I could not see any wear, the gif showed the luster all over the coin. I was going to vote 64, but you said "some decent luster" - so I down I went with 63 instead of 64. The gif made me think 64 and what I was going to vote. And your pictures are better than anything I can do.
     
    lordmarcovan likes this.
  20. ddddd

    ddddd Member

    MS 63 ....from the pictures I figured there were some bigger hits on the neck and cheek, such that it could be a 62; the gif made me think it is nicer than I originally thought so I bumped it up a point to 63...I still think it needs to show stronger luster and be cleaner to get to 64 or higher (but I might be completely misjudging it)
     
    lordmarcovan likes this.
  21. SensibleSal66

    SensibleSal66 U.S Casual Collector / Error Collector

    I don't know. The looping video screams a MS65 to me. Nice coin. Like to see more pics, if not too much trouble.
     

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