I am a total sucker for a well struck coin and that is the sharpest struck Barber half I have seen. I love the luster intermingled with the toning around the edges. Absolutely striking Barber.
No!! Come on!! Have I been duped again?? What is your indicator? I thought with the toning and luster peaking out around the edges this was an original piece. Man, I have got to get myself more studied here.
It’s a sweet looking coin even if it is, but @Eduard ’s photos tend to have a very natural/bright daylight look to them so I’m curious what he has to say about the surfaces and luster in hand.
Enlarge the first picture and examine every scratch. Do they look like bag marks? I think not. Circulation? Don't look like circulation to me, and if it's so circulated why is there hardly any wear on devices yet a ton of scratches?
I am not sure about the cleaning. All of the little nicks appear to be circulation scratches. This is a rare coin, if it has been cleaned, it's an old cleaning and has retoned. I am at AU-58.
The coin is generally bright with only peripheral brown toning. It has luster and is lightly reflective. You can enlarge the picture and will see plenty of tiny, light circulation marks. So, MS it is certainly not. It is a very nice coin. My opinion: dipped, quite possibly. Harshly cleaned, no. (but I am the owner, so I am possibly a little biased)
I think this is a well-preserved AU53 . . . luster is nice and bright in well-protected areas, implying that it has not been dipped, or at least not abusively so. Look, for one instance, in the recesses at the "H" in "HALF" . . . the contrast between the protected luster and the lifeless surfaces in the surrounding unprotected areas is pretty substantial.
Just based on what looks like not too much luster on the obv, I'll say AU50. Cleaned? don't think so, certainly dipped with that reddish toning you get near the rims as it starts to retone. A nice looking Barber, although not my cup of tea.
This coin has absolutely, 100%, guaranteed been dipped. The dull, lifeless fields are a sure sign. A coin with this little wear should not have these lifeless fields - there should be a significant amount of luster remaining. The other key sign is the orange-ish toning. That color of toning, and the spotty nature of it, are sure indicators of a dipped and re-toning coin. Additionally, there is green PVC on the obverse stars. I'm guessing this coin was improperly stored, and dipped to try to improve it. Not all of the PVC was removed - and it needs an acetone bath to help it.
I agree with Jason, my initial impression was the coin had been dipped and has started to re-tone in an album.
