Whizzed barber half

Here is an example of a pretty well done whizz job , it almost looks like the coin has a lot of luster , it probably had some remaining , but under closer examination you can see the telltale lines from the brush used to even out and polish the surface , the best way to learn is by looking at actual coins that have been whizzed but good pictures are the next best , a lot of whizzed coins you can see where the metal was moved up against the lettering and other devises , also these same devises tend to be rounded at the edges instead of more square . Look at the details on this coin like the arrowheads , and eagleshead all are more rounded than a usual example in this condition . Please feel free to comment on other things that may stick out to you , thanks .
http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=29073&Lot_No=24093#photo




Sorry the enlargement detail doesn't work , so go to the link above to see an enlarged version .
rzage:smile

 

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Well that's a shame. Did you get it like that or found out when you submitted it? I guess it' s impossible to hide whizzing no matter how well it's done? How much do you believe it's dropped in value, if I may ask?

 

Link won't allow me to see a larger picture Rusty. Do I have to be a member?

 

Luckily I didn't buy it , and since Ive been here at CT I've learned enough not to buy one , though if I found one cheap enogh I'd buy it as a learning tool , I imagine it lost at least 70% but that's a guess .
rzage

 

I didn't think so , but it only takes a minute to join , and is free .
Rusty:thumb:

 

I know I am going to catch a lot of stuff for this comment, but I believe it to be true. That coin is very attractive despite the fact that it has been whizzed and is now a problem coin. I would have no problem paying $172 (XF40) money for that coin. If anyone owns an XF40 1900-S Barber Half that is more attractive than that coin, I would love to see it.

An excellent link to a great representative of whizzing. Many collectors mistake harshly cleaned an polished coins for being whizzed. Thanks for posting.

 

Green did you try the link right above the picture ?

 

Le I think she's still a beauty too , I'd pay the EF money too , in a heartbeat .
Rusty

 

Great example, Rusty. you can easily see the curved lines caused by the wire brush on the enlarged images at Heritage, and I believe you can see some of the metal build-up next to the lips and chin of the bust.

 

But you might not have to pay XF40 price for it. Whizzing eliminates 95 percent of collectors who won't buy messed-with coins. I agree it looks nice unless you look at it in zoom and see all the scratches. But there's still a steep discount for such coins.

 

Uh, -----the coin sold for XF40 money at auction. And I meant it looks nice after you zoom and see all the scratches. It is what it is, a problem coin, but I still think it has eye appeal.

 

Whoops, not only are you right but people have paid that much for cleaned versions of this coin numerous times at Heritage, looking at the archives. Well I'm here to learn...

 

No worries, I paid AU money for my AU details whizzed Barber Half. Good Education though.

 

I'd buy that coin also for a buck seventy two and be grinning all the way home.

 

Yes, that is a nice looking coin. The buyer may plan to crack it out and try to sell it raw on Ebay, and use the old song and dance about grandma's hoard and how the coin has been in the family since 1900. With the right story, right photo, the odds of that coin landing a fish willing to pay full AU or even MS money are pretty good.

Those looking for totally original AU Barber halves best get a comfortable chair. There aren't that many out there. Some AU Barbers that look original at first glance, or to a novice (less than five years), I would term "faux original." These are messed with then retoned to look good enough to suspend disbelief, but messed with nonetheless. A good many are in top tier no-problem holders.

 

Now this is a beauty , and with my eyes I probably wouldn't see the whizz lines anyway , it would look great in my twentieth century coin holder on the hallway wall . Now I don't condone whizzing on a coin this nice , but for the money it's fine .
rzage:hatch::hammer:
rzage

 

The heritage whizzed coin should be recognizeable as such to most experienced collectors, but the interesting thing that I notice is the fineness of the marks and how close it comes to the devices, which indicates to me that the brush might not be wire as much as fiber or plastic. It certainly is not the brass brush in the dremel tool look.

This is one of the true conundrums of collecting, right up there with toned/dipped coins. When is damage overcome by condition and eye appeal? We do tell people not to mess with their coins and that problem coins are always problems coins, but it seems that some astute ( well enough to bid at a real auction) collectors feel it is OK to step out of the box occasionally. I suspect these are collectors who are "collectors" and don't worry about resale value of their coins.

Often people show a coin of theirs which fits into this category and asks the value. Some members jump in with comments indicating it is ( nearly) worthless ( melt value, etc) due to cleaning, rim dings, bad toning, when really there may be a "details" value that is lower but still above melt. It would be kind to consider such.

Jim

 

You're right on , on this point at least to me , as I would pay AROUND $200 for these nice examples . I just wish I could see some before and after pics .
rzage

 

Since detecting whizzing is almost a no brainer ( just good eyes), compared to AT for fraud, I think many who did this long ago, have switched. I suspect most likely current whizzing is just done by the uninformed amateur who wants to make the coin "shiny".

I have actually been told " I shined these up with a buffer wheel before I brought them ...". Sometimes I wonder how priests are able to hear confessions with out screaming " You idiot!"hya:

Jim

 

But don't forget about all the lousy pics on Fleabay , but in the most part you're probably right . Half the priests I knew were 1/2 sloshed or 1/2 asleep at my confessions , they must hear some real doozies though .