Fabulous Barber Dime Semi-Keys

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by bqcoins, Oct 18, 2008.

  1. bqcoins

    bqcoins Olympic Figure Skating Scoring System Expert

    There's been a lot of talk recently about barbers and good buys especially among dimes. I've made barber dimes my pet project being as how I really love them the most of all dimes. I don't know why I love them most, but there is just something about them, not to mention the thrill of the hunt when trying to build a nice set in F or above. So I thought, I'd give you a little breakdown in my list of Semi-Key Barber dimes and their values. Just for your viewing pleasure, here is my own latest buy an 1895 S quite the semi key and not bad in VF.

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    Now about the Semi Keys: If you consider the 94-s to be unattainable and the 95-o to be the only key coin, that leaves a list of semi keys in my view that is 13 coins. All but one of these coins has a mintage under one million (that being the 1895-S at 1.12 mil).
    In order of desirability one should look at purchasing the following as hard to find semi-key barbers (extremely so in some cases) that are guaranteed to go up in value because these are the ones everyone needs and in almost all cases the ones hardest to find.
    1901-S mintage 593,022 rated as an R3 in G through F.
    1896-S mintage 575,056 rated R3 in G, R4 in F.
    1896-O mintage 610,000 rated same as 96-s
    1895 mintage 690,880 same as above.
    1903-S mintage 613,300 same as above.
    1894-O mintage 720,000 same as above.
    1897-O mintage 666,000 same as above. (although very HTF)
    1892-S mintage 990,710 same as above.
    1904-S mintage 800,000 same as above but dropping back to R3 in VF.
    1895-S mintage 1.12 mil rated R2 in G R3 in F.
    1913-S mintage 510,000 (2nd lowest mintage in series) R2 in G R3 in F
    1909-D mintage 954,000 rated R2 in G R3 in VG-VF (prices do not reflect rarity on this one)
    1915-S mintage 960,000 rated R2 in G and VG, R3 in F and VF (again prices do not reflect rarity)

    Now I know a couple of you are saying that there are other coins I could include on this list but this is my list of keys and I really like this list just the way it is. Now the first 5 coins can be had in the $80-85 range for a specimen in G the next three for $65-75 in G; the next two run in the 40's the 13-S in the mid twenties and the last two can be had for under $10 in G.
    But the real challenge here is finding coins that you can afford in Grades of VG-8 to F-12, because this is where most of the sharp inclines in prices lay and if you can get a better date that is just slightly undergraded you stand to profit by it both from a monetary and collection standpoint. The 1901-S for example makes a price leap of over $200 from VG to F, the 1896-S makes a leap of about $120, and so on and so forth. The 1913-S makes the smallest leap of about $50 between the grades of VG and F. This price leap holds true for all of the list except the last two which never really make a large price leap in between grades prefering to go up in value more linearly, but strangely enough despite their rarity the 1909D can be had for just under $100 in VF and the 1915S under $75 in XF. Two very good buys...if you can find them. But you can see from above you can make great additions to your collection by finding F coins for a VG price. Some dealers won't give a coin a F unless you can see a complete liberty, but according to the ANA guide says ll the letters must be visible buy may be weak. In reality if you have a full LI and TY and at least half of BER showing, usu the upper half. The coin is a fine.
    As for this list I would also recommend searching out an 1897-O as fast as possible as problem free specimens are harder to find than the rarity scale indicates in VG and better. I would be remiss if I failed to say there are also many minor keys that can be snapped up on this list, but if you see any Barber before 1900 in F or Better it would make an excellent acquisition.
     
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  3. Treashunt

    Treashunt The Other Frank

    BQ:
    Very interesting analysis, and I agree with most (if not all) of your comments.

    The series (Barber Dimes) is very challenging. I started off by 'filling holes' in G or G+. The moved up to AU or bettr.
    Someday I may be able to complete the series, but it will be a very long time.

    The 1901 S in anything above F-12 is very hard to find, unless you hit the large shows.
    The 1903 S is a real stopper in F and above. I have only every found two F-12's, and none better.

    The 1904 S is a lower priced piece, and I would agree, in lower grades, but in AU it is a real toughie. I do have one, in AU-50, PL. (NGC), but the PL is not marked on the slab.)

    If there is any more interest in this series the prices will explode.
     
  4. bqcoins

    bqcoins Olympic Figure Skating Scoring System Expert

    Thanks. It got me thinking last night, so I wrote an in depth analysis article of my list of semi-keys, which took a few hours, but I'll post it today for those interested.
     
  5. Treashunt

    Treashunt The Other Frank

  6. Leadfoot

    Leadfoot there is no spoon

    Great analysis. Thanks for taking the time.

    One thing jumped out at me. You said (bold emphasis mine):

    That assumes that the date collector demand increases, which is NOT, in my opinion, a valid assumption. IMO, barber dimes (to include the semi-keys) will continue to languish because of a lack in demand, and this is unlikely to change anytime soon.

    Then again, who knows what the future may hold....

    Respectfully...Mike
     
  7. Treashunt

    Treashunt The Other Frank

    Mike:
    However, the past few years have shown a great increase in the value of all types of Barbers.

    More to come!

    :)
     
  8. bqcoins

    bqcoins Olympic Figure Skating Scoring System Expert

    I was probably over enthusiastic by guaranteeing a price increase, but barbers aren't languishing by any means. In 2003 a 1901-S in G was a $40 coin, today $80 or more. the same 13 semi-key coins in my article have all almost doubled in price in G and VG in the last 5 years. I think they'll continue to grow for the next few years at least.
     
  9. Leadfoot

    Leadfoot there is no spoon

    Time will tell....

    It's just the word "guarantee" that got my goat. I can be kind of anal about those things. :)
     
  10. Leadfoot

    Leadfoot there is no spoon

    p.s. if you factor inflation into your calculations, how much did they really go up? ;)
     
  11. Treashunt

    Treashunt The Other Frank

    100% over five years averages (without imputing compounding) 20% per annum, with is well in excess of inflation since 2003.

    And some have more than doubled.

    About 1999 the 1913 S in good was baout $7 to $8, today = $35, in Coin World's trends.

    That is clearly in excess of inflation.

    I wish that I had a roll of them, like Joel (forgot his last name) who wrote the trends for Numismatic News, did years ago. He was buying them below $10 each, and (the last that I remember had over 56 pieces.


    How about the other semi-key dates?

    I remember buying the 1895 S in G-4 for $17 to $19. Today they trend for $50.
     
  12. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    With all due respect Frank, over the past few years coins pretty much across the board have gone up considerably. Some by as much as 300% - 400%.

    So to judge the Barbers one should compare their percentage increase with other coins of the same denominations but different series. That will tell the story.
     
  13. Treashunt

    Treashunt The Other Frank

    okay, then using your logic, Barbers are down!

    But, that means that it is time to buy.

    Same logic, different route.
     
  14. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    Ya gotta love optomism ;)
     
  15. rzage

    rzage What Goes Around Comes Around .

    I pretty much use that a coin should double in 10 years just to keep up with inflation , by that rule of thumb anything over is gravy , where did I come up with this , I'd love to say years of complex equations , but in reality I just heard it from someone and it made sence the way they described it . So Barbers are earning more than inflation but not as much as the rest of the key dates . JMO
    rzage
     
  16. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    well you gotta have heart...miles and miles and miles of heart.

    BTW - are they saying that the value of a Barbara dime when minted as face value is greater than the market value of a barbie dime when inflation is taken into account?

    That brings something to mind. I see these worn 1840 halfs around the net and I'm thinking, who carried around that much money in those days?

    Ruben
     
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