What (dates and condition) are key for those if anyone knows.. There is a shop near me that has a whole PCGS graded box of them, each priced separately. Perhaps he might have some better dates at a decent price and they are graded so that helps me at least. I have not had a chance to go thru them just yet. I also believe they are in the old green holders...
I use the online mobile version of pcgs coin facts.. and I normally am carrying a copy of my small sized paper money pricing guide..Was just hoping I didn't need to carry along yet another guide when poking around... other than jotting down some dates... The mobile version works fine but navigating can be a bit bulky even with a 4" screen...
I think everyone has a different definition of what is included in "better" dates. If you want my opinion of the better dates of the Waking Liberty Half, here they are: 1916, 1916-S, 1917-S (Obv Mint Mark), 1919, 1919-D, 1919-S, 1920-D, 1921, 1921-D, 1921-S, 1938-D. There are probably a few others that could be added to this list...but I think this is a good starting place. Also, don't be stuck on the old green holders (OGH). It is true that grading standards have shifted a little over the years resulting in some OGH coins having conservative grades. People would cherry pick these coins and resubmit them for an upgrade and then flip the coin for a profit. Something to remember though...even back then there was a spectrum of grading. What I mean is...a coin graded MS65 could be a choice MS65 or barely an MS65...but it was still a 65. Today, those choice MS65 are being graded MS66 but the rest are still MS65. By now, the majority of the choice conservatively graded coins have been identified and resubmitted. What is left (for the most part) are coins that are graded accurately or even low by today's standards. However, because of the allure of the "OGH" some dealers will still sell them for a premium. So, be careful of that.
Thanks for the listing of better dated halves. I didn't get to really look all that closely at the ones in the box yet but there were a few that were laying on the outside and believe one was either a 1916 or 1917 but was kind of hard to tell just yet. I'm not stuck on the OGH over the newer holders per-say. I will have to compare the values against the price of the slabbed ones and hope there isn't a big premium on those holders..After all, I want to buy the coin and not the holder. My thought about the OGH's was that since it appears the whole box is filled with them that perhaps many of them haven't been cherry picked so to speak. I understand what you mean about the standards then versus today and with that in mind when I look at them I will have some coin-facts images available to hopefully determine the best grade for the coin in question.
Since you know about Coin Facts take a look at the PCGS Price Guide. The keys just jump out at you when you compare price per grade. A common date ms65 might be $175.00 to $200.00 while the 1921-D is $25.000.00 and it is not the highest priced coin in the series for that grade by a long shot. http://www.pcgs.com/Prices/PriceGui...&SP=1&c=733&title=Walking+Liberty+Half+Dollar Edit to add that the prices in the guide are about what most dealers are charging but I was bidding on one of those 1921-D's in VF30 over the weekend and got blown out of the water by thinking I could get a key at guide. It sold for about 25% over guide.
I was looking at the price guide and your right, there are definietely a good many keys that jump out especially the higher the grade. Looks like almost everything from 1938D and back carry hefty prices for graded coins.. Suppose I will at least see what he has and go from there..
Hopefully this rain lets up enough for me to get over there and see what dates/grades that box contains..
Okay, today I had a chance to take a look at these graded walker halves and the majority of them were mid 40's P,D and S varieties all grading from roughly 61-64 none higher. There was a 1917 I believe it was 60-61 and a 41S that was decent. Some had very nice luster but the ones I examined under a loup all had weak strikes on liberty's left hand even some of the 63-64 grades. Prices for the majority of these ranged from 140 for the 1917 to between 60 and 80 for the others. Are the "S" dates the better year for the late halves or do any of the others possibly stand out as decent buys for the later dated ones?