Ok so like some others that have been posting, I'm brand new to coin collecting. It started with my 6 yo son and we just searched rolls but the more I read and the more I investigate, the more interested I'm becoming. For some reason, I really like the look of the barber series and after reading the thread in the US coin forum was thinking of starting to pick them up. However, I realize that th price of the collection will vary with what I'm willing/able to spend. My question is an opinion question of all of you. If I wanted to stick to buying graded coins, is there a lower limit that you would stick to or not go under? Good, very good, fine, etc. Personally, for me, I can't buy the coins in MS condition although it would be nice. Would it even be worth buying the coins in only good condition? G-4 or so? For now I'd be doing it for fun, but the thought of some appreciation is always good as well. Thanks in advance for any opinions
Buy the best that you can afford-- and find! Deciding on a grade for any of the Barber series is tough. There are a number of quarters that I have not found above F, and some not above VG, at least at local area coin shows. I prefer the $1/2 in at least fine, but VF's are really nice, although you will have a long wait for many of them.
I generally don't go under MS; however, a lot of the coins I would like to add to my collection are high value coins in MS. I would love to own a MS Morgan CC that's slabbed; however, the CCs are out of my current budget, even in raw, unslabbed, form. You have to decide what your budget is going to be, and shop around to compare prices of different grades of slabbed items. You can find AU slabbed coins for less money and some look as good as the MS coins.
Like Frank already mentioned, if you like Barbers buy the best you can afford. Just keep in mind the scarcity of many in mid to high grades. For that reason most people assemble the sets of Barber coins in VG-VF grades. Unless you're buying a key date, there really is no reason to buy slabbed for this purpose, unless you just like the challenge of likely never finishing. Guy~
As others have stated, "Buy the best you can afford." You may be asking yourself what the price range would be for certified coins in various grades. I don't know where you live, but if you have any coin shows in your area, you might want to check them out. It would enable you to compare numerous examples in varying grades to help you make your decision. I don't recommend buying any coins from eBay, raw or slabbed, until you have familiarized yourself with the series. Chris
I forgot: "Would it even be worth buying the coins in only good condition? G-4 or so? For now I'd be doing it for fun, but the thought of some appreciation is always good as well." Yes, there are many good values in Good condition. Go for them.
Thanks Thank you for all of the responses. To be honest, the real reason that I would be more inclined to buy slabbed coins is because at least I know what the grade is on those coins. I realize that it sounds like some people can agree/disagree with the grade but it's at least close. I've been giving myself a crash course in grading and trying to look at tons of photos of examples to see the differences. I would be fine buying coins that aren't slabbed but will just have to take it slow and really make sure that I know what I'm looking at. I went to a coin show about a week ago and was doing just that, trying to compare the same coins at varying grades or at least various prices in different conditions.
It sounds like you're playing it smart and not rushing in to make hurried purchases in case the supply runs out. If you haven't already, you might want to purchase a copy of the ANA Grading Standards or Photograde to help you with the grading. Chris
I like what I'm reading! I really don't have anything to do with the various Barber series, but I know for the Walkers, you can often get a Slabbed (PCGS or NGC) AG3 for a lot less than the going raw G4 price. Depending on your budget, this might be interesting for the Keys. I guess I'm answering your question about "Authenticity". Because, even if they're only AG3, at least they've been checked by PCGS/NGC and are real! ICG and ANACs are respected for the "authenticity" they put to a slab but maybe not so much for the grade. Good luck in any case!
I don't necessarily agree with the mantra of "buy the best you can afford" when it comes to individual coins. I believe folks are much better off dipping their toe into the water of a collection and at the same time forming a strategy of acquisition that includes a general idea of budget constraints, goal of eye appeal and any time limit or other goals. If you want to buy Barber coinage as type then you can pick up one or two coins per series and you have the luxury of buying whatever coin fits your purposes. However, if you want to buy Barber coinage as a date and mintmark series goal then you will find serious constraints regarding the availability of various issues and might be forced or seduced into buying coins that do not fit your desires. If you want to buy these coins as date and mintmark series then I would caution you to not buy coins below G4. Also, I would not limit myself to previously certified examples. What I would strongly advise would be to buy a copy of The Official American Numismatic Association Grading Standards and then read and learn these standards for the series that interest you and the grade ranges that you prefer. You can then go out and buy raw coins with some confidence. It took me five or so years to build a complete, original-skinned Barber half set in VF so I have a bit of experience in this niche. I have also written articles for Coin World and Coin Values magazines for Barber half dollars. My website, which lists nothing for sale, has several articles that I wrote on it and one of these is written specifically about Barber half dollars. If you want any help, feel free to send me a private message.
To help me with my grading skills, one of the things I have done is to buy a coin slab by either NGC or PCGS in a particular series. Then I study that coin and compare it to the reference books I have. I can read from books all day long but personally for me to have an actual example of what a professional grader believes is the correct grade allows me to visualize better the written words and photos with an actual example of the coin in that particular grade.
My advise is to disregard those that are stuck on But the Best, Only get MS, Go for the highest grades, etc. Again, you may want to reread what YOU said. Doing it for FUN. Finding coins to fill a collection regardless of condition is what it is, a hobby and for FUN. Collect what you can afford and continue to realize that this is a hobby, not competition to see who has the best. You are on a coin forum so naturally you'll hear from those that constantly say buy the best, only get MS coins, only buy slabbed coins, etc. Way to many people turn a hobby into something really serious and end up frustrated, with ulcers, irritable, etc. Continue to remind yourself that this is a hobby and for FUN and you'll end up with a collection YOU like.
Is it worth buying G-4 Barber 50c ? Sure, dependng on what you mean by "worth". Here's what you need to know about Barber 50c - it is notoriously difficult to find really nice ones, even in AU55 - MS65 ! Sounds crazy; I know. But rest assured even slabbed higher grade ones can be clunkers. There are millions of G4s at any coin show. Just consider them an expense, and you'll lose 20% when you sell 'em. If you get a fair price on great higher grade specimens, you will make money when you sell 'em. Truly nice ones are hot hot hot demand.
I suppose half dollars, not silver dollars, were real workhorses of commerce at the time of the Barbers. The vast majority of survivors are well worn, and even proofs are often ugly coins. Contrast that with Morgan dollars of the same time period, which sat around in bank vaults. There are millions of bright and beautiful Morgans. Not so with Barber halves. Go to any coin show bourse; you'll see.
Tom, you throw that out there and don't defend it. Maybe it's a truism that I've missed. Based on what I've seen from your posts and your site, you have the arsenal to back up the claim. I'd greatly appreciate knowing why I shouldn't buy a slabbed 1921-D Walker in AG-3 shape because I really want to complete the collection and I want a "real" one and I don't want to pay $300 money for a "raw" G4. No offense intended. I guess I'm calling you and raising you another $5!!!!! Thanks!
As you read some of the replys, note how many think only monitarily. Easy to see since the first thing is how much you'll get when you resell them. Or just what do you think they'll ever be worth? And on and on and on with reselling your coins. Again, as you said, DOING IT FOR FUN. Go to some coin shows if possible. There too you can learn a lot, have fun, meet people and again, all for fun. This is a hobby. No one really wins. No onw really looses. We should all just have fun. I'm really to old to care I guess.
Thank you for asking the question since what I wrote was likely unclear for others, too. My response was a general response for some series, but also a specific response for other series. The comment about avoiding coins that grade less than G4 was more specific to the Barber series. The reasons that I believe one should generally avoid these AG3 Barber coins follows. The first is that the average grade of surviving Barber coinage is likely more or less G4 so when one buys an AG3 Barber half dollar they are actually buying a coin that might be slightly worse than the mean for a series that saw heavy circulation. Also, most of these coins in this range hover around Greysheet value and the Greysheet does not list AG3 prices. Therefore, when you buy these coins from dealers you are likely to pay closer to G4 money, and will rationalize that this is okay, but when you sell you are likely to get 50% or so of G4 money because Barber coins in this grade are relatively common. Additionally, there is severe price compression down at AG3 and G4 on many of these issues because of the bullion value baseline floor and this means that the step up difference between acquiring an AG3 vs. acquiring a G4 is for many coins not all that much money. Lastly, most collectors who put sets of these coins together would like to buy coins with complete rims and complete rims for these can be found on G4, but are not required until G6. These points together mean that if you were to assemble an AG3 set that you might not be into the set for all that much less money than a full-rim G4/G6 set, but upon resale the AG3 set will be much less liquid and might suffer from a larger discount. Your comment about the AG3 1921-D WLH would receive a slightly different answer from me based upon your goals. The 1921-D WLH is nearly universally recognized as being among the pantheon of key date 20th century coinage. It sits within a group that includes the 1901-S Barber quarter, 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent, 1916-D Merc, 1916 SLQ and 1932-D WQ. Of course, the 1901-S Barber quarter is the true beast of the group while the 1921-D WLH is the only remaining member that can be truly difficult to find in mid-grades or higher. Therefore, the coin has tremendous collector pressure by those who want "cool" coins, those who concentrate on key dates and those who are building WLH date and mintmark sets. This means that many of these are already certified and also means that many of the raw pieces that are offered as legitimate 1921-D WLHs might not be what they claim. If an AG3 of this date works for you under this scenario then that is fine. If, however, someone were to come to me asking my advice on the coin then I would tell them to attempt to buy a high end VG10 or, if they are really lucky, get a high end F12. Yes, these will cost more money, but it is my opinion that those grades have more value. Others might not agree. I hope this answered your comment.
Hi- I like the Barber Halfs as well, I try to buy them with good Eye apeal and as many letters in LIBERTY as possible. It's the best I can afford. I wish you well in your collection.btw go for the low mintage first. Cheers,
