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Barberlover. Sale transacted from contact made on the PCGS message boards. A very nice MS 66 coin, one of three with only one finer. Well struck and lustrous as is common for this issue. Low mintage and highly respected in all grades, but mint state examples are a bit more common than the mintage would indicate due to the date being the first year of issue. You don't see very many MS 65 and above coins of this date. This is the first San Fransisco coin in the set and like the Philadelphia issues, most come strongly struck and some have full strikes. Coins from the San Fransisco Mint were made for every year of issue from 1892-1915, matching the output of the Philadelphia issues. Early date S-mints do not seem to have roller marks, but issues from about 1902-1907 seem to be the most affected by the planchet striations due to worn out roller fingers handling the planchets prior to striking. Try finding this date in original F12 up through AU 58 and you are in for a real challenge. As with the other coins in the series from 1892, more were saved as first year of issue, but not as many as the Philadelphia issue. This may at least partly be due to the number of collectors in the Eastern US as compared to the area served by the San Fransisco Mint.
Barberlover. Sale transacted from contact made on the PCGS message boards. A very nice MS 66 coin, one of three with only one finer. Well struck and lustrous as is common for this issue. Low mintage and highly respected in all grades, but mint state examples are a bit more common than the mintage would indicate due to the date being the first year of issue. You don't see very many MS 65 and above coins of this date. This is the first San Fransisco coin in the set and like the Philadelphia issues, most come strongly struck and some have full strikes. Coins from the San Fransisco Mint were made for every year of issue from 1892-1915, matching the output of the Philadelphia issues. Early date S-mints do not seem to have roller marks, but issues from about 1902-1907 seem to be the most affected by the planchet striations due to worn out roller fingers handling the planchets prior to striking. Try finding this date in original F12 up through AU 58 and you are in for a real challenge. As with the other coins in the series from 1892, more were saved as first year of issue, but not as many as the Philadelphia issue. This may at least partly be due to the number of collectors in the Eastern US as compared to the area served by the San Fransisco Mint.
CAC. Laibstain. Wow, what an amazing coin; an outstanding example that we really love! This very coin was once owned by Larry Shepherd, and Larry knew his Barber coins very well, being the dealer that worked most closely with John Hugon, helping Mr. Hugon build phenomenal sets. Tremendous luster, strong strike, and free of significant marks, we believe this to be the very best 1893-S half in existence, despite the Pryor/Duckor coin that graded MS 66. We evaluated the Pryor/Duckor coin when offered at auction, and found it not to be as nice as this coin. This is a very underrated coin in our opinion This might be the rarest Barber Half in mint state in gem or better (compare with dates like 1896-O, 1901-S, 1904-S ). The 1893-S is certainly rarer than its "older brother" the 1893-S Morgan Dollar in gem and better, but demand for the half-dollars is not as high as for the ubiquitous and heavily collected Morgan Dollars. Look at the population report numbers and you will see that the 1893-S half is one tough coin, even in MS 64 and MS 63. This issue does come nice and most examples we have seen are lustrous and well struck. We have also previously owned examples in MS 63 and MS 64. The 1893-S is among our favorite dates, and about as close to a "key" date as there is in this set, despite the attention the 1904-S half gets. Compared to prices paid for 1904-S halves in MS 65 and better, the 1893-S is a real sleeper, in our opinion. This exact coin represents a significant turning point in building this set. The price jump from an MS 64 to MS 65 for this date is large and requires a high level of confidence in grading to avoid a costly mistake. This was one of the first coins obtained at auction using Harry Laibstain as an advisor. We never looked back, either.
Laibstain. Eliasberg from Clapp Estate. Very nice example of a tough early date S mint, not as difficult as the 93-S, but really not that much different, either. We bought this coin unattributed, but later matched it up to the Eliasberg coin, with the help of Ron Guth of PCGS. As with all Eliasberg coins from the Barber series, this one traces back to the Clapp collection bought intact by Eliasberg. True gem 94-S's are great coins. One of four Eliasberg coins in this set (94-S, 01-O, 04-O, and 12-S). Out of 74 coins in the set counting the micro O, there are only 50 possible mint state coins (the P mints were proofs, 24 coins). Thus, four out of 50 possible mint state Eliasberg coins is 8% of the available business strike coins from the Eliasberg collection.
Laibstain. Eliasberg from Clapp Estate. Very nice example of a tough early date S mint, not as difficult as the 93-S, but really not that much different, either. We bought this coin unattributed, but later matched it up to the Eliasberg coin, with the help of Ron Guth of PCGS. As with all Eliasberg coins from the Barber series, this one traces back to the Clapp collection bought intact by Eliasberg. True gem 94-S's are great coins. One of four Eliasberg coins in this set (94-S, 01-O, 04-O, and 12-S). Out of 74 coins in the set counting the micro O, there are only 50 possible mint state coins (the P mints were proofs, 24 coins). Thus, four out of 50 possible mint state Eliasberg coins is 8% of the available business strike coins from the Eliasberg collection.
CAC. Laibstain. Hugon. An amazing original gem with nice toning, great strike, and wonderful luster. Some green color in the toning is noted, and overall this is an outstanding coin. Only one finer coin known. The Hugon collection was put together by John Hugon with the help of a great dealer, Larry Shepherd. Coins paced in the Hugon collection set wire all high-graded and high-end coins. Mr Hugon also collected Barber dimes and quarters in mint state, and all three of these barber denominations in proof format. We were fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to procure some very nice coins from the cabinet of Mr. Hugon.
Laibstain. Pryor. James Pryor built a set of half dollars spanning the 1794 issue to the Franklin series. His Barber halves included some extremely nice examples, such as this one. Very nice coin and well struck. Very tough to find nicer. Many examples have prominent roller marks across the cheek; this is a feature that is mint-caused, but we try to avoid coins with this feature, if we can. Has been known as a key date in Barber Halves for a very long time. Having only five others graded at gem MS 65 and only six finer, attests to the true rarity of this date. Also a great date in the circulated set in anything nicer than VG10. As an S-mint coin, it typcially comes well struck and tends to be lustrous as is this example. By far the nicest example we have seen is the Steve Duckor example that he purchased from Dale Friend.
Laibstain. Pryor. James Pryor built a set of half dollars spanning the 1794 issue to the Franklin series. His Barber halves included some extremely nice examples, such as this one. Very nice coin and well struck. Very tough to find nicer. Many examples have prominent roller marks across the cheek; this is a feature that is mint-caused, but we try to avoid coins with this feature, if we can. Has been known as a key date in Barber Halves for a very long time. Having only five others graded at gem MS 65 and only six finer, attests to the true rarity of this date. Also a great date in the circulated set in anything nicer than VG10. As an S-mint coin, it typcially comes well struck and tends to be lustrous as is this example. By far the nicest example we have seen is the Steve Duckor example that he purchased from Dale Friend.
Laibstain. Northern Bay collection offered at auction by Stacks. Formerly this was Abe Kosoff's coin. Incredible dripping luster and few marks on this amazing coin. One of the classic long-known to be tough dates in the series, a coin special enough to make it into the collection of the "Dean of Numismatics". What a great coin! It has it all: very tough date, beautiful look, high-grade, unbeatable pedigree. This date is also difficult to find above G to VG, (finding a nice original F or VF coin is extremely difficult) and like so many coins in the early part of the series, the issue is found with the reverse often worn more than the obverse. An original coin in F to EF is a rare find and highly sought after by the knowledgeable Barber collectors, and when sold often fetches far more money than expected from price guides. This date may be the single most difficult to find regular issue Barber Half in the high circulated grades.
Laibstain. Northern Bay collection offered at auction by Stacks. Formerly this was Abe Kosoff's coin. Incredible dripping luster and few marks on this amazing coin. One of the classic long-known to be tough dates in the series, a coin special enough to make it into the collection of the "Dean of Numismatics". What a great coin! It has it all: very tough date, beautiful look, high-grade, unbeatable pedigree. This date is also difficult to find above G to VG, (finding a nice original F or VF coin is extremely difficult) and like so many coins in the early part of the series, the issue is found with the reverse often worn more than the obverse. An original coin in F to EF is a rare find and highly sought after by the knowledgeable Barber collectors, and when sold often fetches far more money than expected from price guides. This date may be the single most difficult to find regular issue Barber Half in the high circulated grades.
Laibstain. Duckor/Akers coin. Very nice coin with excellent strike and nice color. A very tough coin to find above MS 64, and not all examples are very well struck. This issue is difficult to find in any condition above VG. In mint state, few specimens are available in any grade, making this a difficult coin to attain. We had an MS 64 example, then obtained an MS 65 coin, and then finally purchased this coin from the Duckor sale at auction. There were years between these upgrades as the date almost never is available in gem. Any coin from the Duckor collection is special as it was chosen very carefully from all available coins over several decades with the help of David Akers (one of the great coin dealers; he knew and loved Barber Halves very well). Only one coin is graded finer, and I believe that is the incredible coin from the Pryor collection that is proof-like and amazing for this issue; I'm not sure where that coin is presently. Our coin has original toning with some pretty colors and complements the other coins from 1898 in this set. We feel that the 1898-O is underrated by many people. Mid and upper grade circulated examples are also difficult to find and this date ranks up there with several others for most difficult to find in VF to AU.
Laibstain. Duckor/Akers coin. Very nice coin with excellent strike and nice color. A very tough coin to find above MS 64, and not all examples are very well struck. This issue is difficult to find in any condition above VG. In mint state, few specimens are available in any grade, making this a difficult coin to attain. We had an MS 64 example, then obtained an MS 65 coin, and then finally purchased this coin from the Duckor sale at auction. There were years between these upgrades as the date almost never is available in gem. Any coin from the Duckor collection is special as it was chosen very carefully from all available coins over several decades with the help of David Akers (one of the great coin dealers; he knew and loved Barber Halves very well). Only one coin is graded finer, and I believe that is the incredible coin from the Pryor collection that is proof-like and amazing for this issue; I'm not sure where that coin is presently. Our coin has original toning with some pretty colors and complements the other coins from 1898 in this set. We feel that the 1898-O is underrated by many people. Mid and upper grade circulated examples are also difficult to find and this date ranks up there with several others for most difficult to find in VF to AU.
CAC. Whitlow. Very lustrous coin with nice peripheral toning and excellent strike, typical for an S-mint Barber half. A very nice example and only bettered by three coins. One of the issues that was heavily exported to the Philippines, and many saw circulation. The highest graded is an MS 68. Not at all an easy coin to find in gem or above. Knowing the history of the individual issues in the series helps create an appreciation for the rarity of these coins remaining in gem and better condition. The United States went through a lot of changes from the beginning of the production of Barber coins in 1892, up to the ceasing of production of the halves in 1915 and the quarters and dimes the following year.
CAC. Whitlow. Very lustrous coin with nice peripheral toning and excellent strike, typical for an S-mint Barber half. A very nice example and only bettered by three coins. One of the issues that was heavily exported to the Philippines, and many saw circulation. The highest graded is an MS 68. Not at all an easy coin to find in gem or above. Knowing the history of the individual issues in the series helps create an appreciation for the rarity of these coins remaining in gem and better condition. The United States went through a lot of changes from the beginning of the production of Barber coins in 1892, up to the ceasing of production of the halves in 1915 and the quarters and dimes the following year.
CAC. Heritage. One of only a few MS 65 coins in our set, the lowest grade remaining among the set, after much upgrading over the years. The 1900-S issue is very hard to find at or above MS 65, and is an unsung difficult issue in the series. Only four have been graded finer by PCGS. That makes this coin a very elusive issue in MS 65 or better. This one is a toned example with nice surfaces and with luster, and overall covered by light toning. This coin was bought in an old first generation PCGS holder from a Heritage Auction. The image shows the coin's surfaces nicely. The last of the three issues exported to the Philippines, and like the 98-S and 99-S is hard to find since so many were sent away and were circulated. This is not an easy date to find in gem and better. A date that might have been saved with the change from 1899 to 1900, but numbers of surviving mint state specimens does not bear out such a notion. There seem to be no more saved for the 1900 issues than for the 1899 issues. This was in the middle of the series, the novelty of the new design had worn off, and the value of a half dollar was such that most people used the coins in commerce and didn't save them.
CAC. Lawrence. Nice coin with original toning over lustrous and clean surfaces. The 1901-S half is quite a rare coin. This was known among Barber Half Dollar experts of ages past, and has been verified by population reports generated once third-party grading began. In his 1991 book on Barber Half Dollars, David Lawrence had the 1901-S half among the top three rarest in all mint state grades as certified by PCGS and NGC. Very tough date in all grades above MS 63 and harder to find than its little brother the 01-S quarter, as there are fewer examples of the halves available or graded than there are the quarters. Examples of 1901-S halves in gem or better condition only become available in rare circumstances. Pricing for this date is well below what would be expected compared to the 1904-S of nearly equal populations, or for some issues that have more available.
CAC. Lawrence. Nice coin with original toning over lustrous and clean surfaces. The 1901-S half is quite a rare coin. This was known among Barber Half Dollar experts of ages past, and has been verified by population reports generated once third-party grading began. In his 1991 book on Barber Half Dollars, David Lawrence had the 1901-S half among the top three rarest in all mint state grades as certified by PCGS and NGC. Very tough date in all grades above MS 63 and harder to find than its little brother the 01-S quarter, as there are fewer examples of the halves available or graded than there are the quarters. Examples of 1901-S halves in gem or better condition only become available in rare circumstances. Pricing for this date is well below what would be expected compared to the 1904-S of nearly equal populations, or for some issues that have more available.
Country Coins. This is a very tough middle date S-mint coin that comes nice as in this example, but is a very seldom-seen issue The strike on this coin is nearly full and luster is good associated with small bits of toning here and there. This issue is a bit overshadowed by the 1904-S and even somewhat by the 1901-S, but examples are few and far between in MS 64 and up. According to the David Lawrence texts, multiple collectors find the 02-S one of the last coins to fill their collection as they are difficult to locate. This example is tied with five others with two finer known.
Friend. Very nice and lustrous white coin, well struck and without problems. This is a tougher date than some realize, being in the middle years of the set and not many collectors in the early 1900's were saving these coins with mint marks. Another great example sold to us directly by Dale Friend. We hold this coin with pride. Absolutely a coin obtained after making the acquaintance of Dale based on communications developed through the PCGS set registry. As with so many other dates in the series, finding a high-end 1903-O Barber half is very difficult. At MS 65+ it currently holds the position of the only example currently graded such, with only 6 coins graded higher at PCGS. Given our attention to Barber halves for 20 years, the population of 6 better coins might be slightly inflated.
CAC. Laibstain. Very nice coin. White and well-struck with minimal abrasions and booming luster. This coin was one we hoped would grade MS 66, but it did get a bump from MS 65 to MS 65 plus. A much tougher date in the series for two reasons. P-mints of the series were not saved in any quantity in uncirculated condition, because proofs were preferred by most contemporary collectors. Also, the middle years of the series saw fewer coins saved, perhaps due to loss of the novelty of the issue. This is especially true for the P-mints of 00-05. Try to find a gem 1904 and you will find out it is one difficult date. The nicest 1904 of which we are aware is the Dale Friend example, which he traded to Steve Duckor. That particular example is far superior to all others we have seen. It is also easy to forget that in 1904 a half dollar was a fair amount of money and may have represented a significant amount of a day's salary for many. Saving one as a collectible meant going without the fifty cents the coin was worth at the time. The fact that so few remain in original pristine condition attests to the lack of saving the coin by very many people at the time of issue.
CAC. Laibstain. Very nice coin. White and well-struck with minimal abrasions and booming luster. This coin was one we hoped would grade MS 66, but it did get a bump from MS 65 to MS 65 plus. A much tougher date in the series for two reasons. P-mints of the series were not saved in any quantity in uncirculated condition, because proofs were preferred by most contemporary collectors. Also, the middle years of the series saw fewer coins saved, perhaps due to loss of the novelty of the issue. This is especially true for the P-mints of 00-05. Try to find a gem 1904 and you will find out it is one difficult date. The nicest 1904 of which we are aware is the Dale Friend example, which he traded to Steve Duckor. That particular example is far superior to all others we have seen. It is also easy to forget that in 1904 a half dollar was a fair amount of money and may have represented a significant amount of a day's salary for many. Saving one as a collectible meant going without the fifty cents the coin was worth at the time. The fact that so few remain in original pristine condition attests to the lack of saving the coin by very many people at the time of issue.
Laibstain. A nicely toned original coin with sharp strike. This date is the last of the tough P-mints that start at 1899 and go through 1905, middle years that were not much saved in uncirculated condition.
Laibstain. A nicely toned original coin with sharp strike. This date is the last of the tough P-mints that start at 1899 and go through 1905, middle years that were not much saved in uncirculated condition.
Laibstain. Creamy luster and well struck. First issue from the Denver Mint in the set. Denver mint issues are mostly fairly well struck, certainly better than most coins from New Orleans, but not as consistently strong as the Philadelphia and San Fransisco issues. Beginning in 1906, the Denver Mint made Barber Halves each year except 1909, 1910, and 1914. Superb gems are limited in number for 1906 as so many issues in the set are known to be.
Laibstain. Creamy luster and well struck. First issue from the Denver Mint in the set. Denver mint issues are mostly fairly well struck, certainly better than most coins from New Orleans, but not as consistently strong as the Philadelphia and San Fransisco issues. Beginning in 1906, the Denver Mint made Barber Halves each year except 1909, 1910, and 1914. Superb gems are limited in number for 1906 as so many issues in the set are known to be.
CAC. Labistain. Pryor/Friend. This coin has amazing luster and strike, but does have a few planchet striations, most notable across the cheek. These striations are from worn-out roller fingers that fed the planchets into the striking dies, and can be found especially in coins minted in San Francisco from 1902-1908, and perhaps at other times. The striking of the coin was not enough to cover or "erase" these marks made on the planchets. Still, this is a very tough coin in MS 66 and above, with three tied with this coin and three graded higher. The 1907-S is one of the better mid to late dates in the series. This coin is from the James Pryor set of half dollars that was essentially complete from 1794 up through 1963, having all dates and mint marks throughout. The Barber half selections from this set included some very nice coins, some of which ended up in Dr. Steve Duckor's set, some in Dale Friend's set, and this one in our set. The San Francisco Mint coins collected by Pryor include some extremely nice coins. There are several other dates from the set such as the 94-O and 98-O that have been off the market since the 1996 auction, and they are likely the finest known of those issues. Their whereabouts are currently not known by us.
Laibstain. Duckor/Akers coin. This is a very nice 08-O and lacks the so commonly seen "mumps" that plagues many of the 1906-09 coins from New Orleans. The mumps is thought to be due to die buckling. IWe have also seen mumps in combination with die clashes; both relate to mint-made defects. The MS 67 grade has captured 13 coins, and one finer, but they seldom show up for sale leading us to believe that the population may be slightly overstated. At the MS 67 level, the 1908-O and 1892 account for the most common dates available, yet we have only occasionally encountered the 1908-O in MS 67, distinctly less commonly than the 1892 in this grade. The pre-ANA sale by Heritage in Rosemont, IL featured two other 1908-O halves in MS 67, a very unusual chance for two of the known specimens to be sold at one auction.
Laibstain. Duckor/Akers coin. This is a very nice 08-O and lacks the so commonly seen "mumps" that plagues many of the 1906-09 coins from New Orleans. The mumps is thought to be due to die buckling. IWe have also seen mumps in combination with die clashes; both relate to mint-made defects. The MS 67 grade has captured 13 coins, and one finer, but they seldom show up for sale leading us to believe that the population may be slightly overstated. At the MS 67 level, the 1908-O and 1892 account for the most common dates available, yet we have only occasionally encountered the 1908-O in MS 67, distinctly less commonly than the 1892 in this grade. The pre-ANA sale by Heritage in Rosemont, IL featured two other 1908-O halves in MS 67, a very unusual chance for two of the known specimens to be sold at one auction.
Heritage. One of our earlier purchases (1996), this is a vibrant and lustrous coin with smooth surfaces. There are surprisingly few coins in MS 66 with only 2-3 finer. This exact coin holds a special place in our collection, being the first coin to be MS 65 or better (our first gem), reaching that status many years ago when the set had only about 40 coins out of the 74 (counting the 1892-O micro O variety), and most were MS 63 and 64. This is a common Barber Half in grades of less than MS 65, and at one time was quite tough in MS 65, but over the years many have become graded in gem, and a few better.
Heritage. One of our earlier purchases (1996), this is a vibrant and lustrous coin with smooth surfaces. There are surprisingly few coins in MS 66 with only 2-3 finer. This exact coin holds a special place in our collection, being the first coin to be MS 65 or better (our first gem), reaching that status many years ago when the set had only about 40 coins out of the 74 (counting the 1892-O micro O variety), and most were MS 63 and 64. This is a common Barber Half in grades of less than MS 65, and at one time was quite tough in MS 65, but over the years many have become graded in gem, and a few better.
Laibstain. A very pretty coin with good strong luster and light and nice toning. The strike is strong as expected for a Philadelphia mint coin. This is a very common date in circulated condition and lower grades of uncirculated up through MS 65. Surprisingly, no coins have graded above MS 66, but this coin is tied with 12 others or fewer (depending on how many coins have been resubmitted, and thus counted more than once). Based on our experience over the last 25 years, the number of coins in the population report for this issue in MS 66 looks to be inflated. This coin serves as a great choice for a type coin in MS 64-66
Laibstain. Eliasberg from Clapp Estate. The coin was obtained directly from the San Francisco Mint by Mr. Clapp in 1912. The coin was then purchased by Louis Elisaberg as part of the Clapp Estate; he purchased the Clapp collection to fill out many holes his collection at that time. This is a very nice coin with underlying luster, strong strike and nice toning. This is one of four Clapp/Eliasberg coins in the set and there is no better pedigree, in our opinion. We feel priviledged to own and hold these historical coins as part of our set. Originally we purchased the coin without the pedigree, but Ron Guth of PCGS recognized this coin, and let us know it is from the Eliasberg Collection.
Laibstain. Eliasberg from Clapp Estate. The coin was obtained directly from the San Francisco Mint by Mr. Clapp in 1912. The coin was then purchased by Louis Elisaberg as part of the Clapp Estate; he purchased the Clapp collection to fill out many holes his collection at that time. This is a very nice coin with underlying luster, strong strike and nice toning. This is one of four Clapp/Eliasberg coins in the set and there is no better pedigree, in our opinion. We feel priviledged to own and hold these historical coins as part of our set. Originally we purchased the coin without the pedigree, but Ron Guth of PCGS recognized this coin, and let us know it is from the Eliasberg Collection.
Laibstain. Lightly toned and nicely struck coin with good luster. We had an MS 63 coin for a long time in the set, not being able to find an example to fit the set for nearly a decade. Truly not very easy to find in MS 65 and better, but a few are available with some searching.
Laibstain. Lightly toned and nicely struck coin with good luster. We had an MS 63 coin for a long time in the set, not being able to find an example to fit the set for nearly a decade. Truly not very easy to find in MS 65 and better, but a few are available with some searching.
Laibstain. Last year of the series, and an issue of low mintage. More were saved of the later years, compared to the early years; the saving of the last year of issue is similar to the beginning of a new coin series as collectors realize that a coin design is no longer going to be produced, but the number saved at the beginning seems to be greater than at the end of the series. This may be due to the novelty factor. At the beginning we have a new coin design, at the end, a very familiar one. Surprisingly few gem and better 1915's from Philadelphia are known. Even at the end of the Barber Half Dollar series, most collectors still chose proof examples over the mint state circulation strikes. This one is well struck and with good luster. It is the second finest known example and a dandy. One of many coins in this long series that requires a long hunt to find in nice gem condition.
Laibstain. Last year of the series, and an issue of low mintage. More were saved of the later years, compared to the early years; the saving of the last year of issue is similar to the beginning of a new coin series as collectors realize that a coin design is no longer going to be produced, but the number saved at the beginning seems to be greater than at the end of the series. This may be due to the novelty factor. At the beginning we have a new coin design, at the end, a very familiar one. Surprisingly few gem and better 1915's from Philadelphia are known. Even at the end of the Barber Half Dollar series, most collectors still chose proof examples over the mint state circulation strikes. This one is well struck and with good luster. It is the second finest known example and a dandy. One of many coins in this long series that requires a long hunt to find in nice gem condition.