My Barber half collection...and some trivia

[Wyatt Earp]

I thought I'd share a picture of some of my newly started Barber Half Dollar collection.

I think this series of half dollars is undervalued and underappreciated. I was reading a bit and found out that the total production of Barber halfs, all dates and mints....is 136 million.....and that's less than the philadelphia mint's production of 1964 Kennedy Half dollars. That's amazing.

This is the first 18 coins I've bought. There are 12 more enroute. Gee, 30 down and 43 more to go. They get a little spendy pretty soon....say 6 more relatively common issues. I will stick to my minimum standard condition which is high end very good and bordering fine.

I like these, and even if I never own the whole set, I feel like I have some nice ones. If you have any in this grade or slightly better, I am probably interested. This set will take years to complete.

Wyatt

That's a very nice collection you are putting togeather. The way you are going you will have the set completed in no time.

[Wyatt Earp]

Hi Boobie.....If "enthusiasm" and "will" were dollars and cents......I'd be able to complete it in a hurry. Those that I have bought have been the least expensive. They quickly start costing a couple hundred clams per coin from this point out. I suspect that's why lots of people collect the lower grades...but I think these are the ugliest coins ever minted in lower grades, and if faced with the choice of adding lesser coins or leaving holes in the set....I'll take the "holes". They only begin to have any appeal to me when the facial features are pretty much there. It's funny, but I don't like 'em when they're in uncirculated condition either. I love that patina that the barbers develop.

Wyatt

[greg N.B.of P.A.]

Earp thats one fine collection of barbers.Like you I try to collect coins regardless of the superior condition. Ilike getting my albums out and looking at the coins and thinking of the past. Another time, another era, different lifestyles etc.Ilke showing these coins to others and talking about those times. There's a history lesson in every coin.So keep collecting for the times. Don't go broke doing it! Good Luck greg N.B. of P.A.

[Wyatt Earp]

HI Greg.......

I think the relationship of dates on coins to historic events is what drew me to coin collecting when I was a lad just 10 years old. I loved history class, while all of my classmates pretty much hated it....remembering all of those dates and such....hooey! Me...I liked it. I still like history and am excited about an old Pa history book I just scored. It was published in 1911....and is called 2 centuries of Pennsylvania History. There might be some stuff in the earlier book that has since been deleted for later volumes. They did this to keep the size of the book manageable.

I am up to 33 Barber Half dollars now....just 40 more to go. I do want them to have monetary value as well, which is why I won't add any AG or G coins to the set. If it means the set grows slowly....so be it. In the end, it'll be a set worth owning.

Wyatt

[THing4CSA]

Hi Wyatt
Higher grade coins are worth the money if you really want to enjoy seeing what the coins were meant to look like. Thanks for sharing and good luck in finding the coins you need to finish your set.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours.
Dave Mork
THing4CSA
PS: Remember; Don't leave it in the ground!

[Wyatt Earp]

HI Dave.......

I can look at the super high grades from afar. A set in VG-8 will cost between 3500 and 4000 dollars. That's plenty expensive......and at that grade you can begin to see what they were intended to look like.

I'll probably never own the whole set. Some of these issues are so very scarce in even the VG-8 grade, that I will indeed need a bit of luck...or lots of time...perhaps both.

Merry Christmas to you and yours....and to everybody here.

Wyatt

[Gregory]

Hi Wyatt,
My friend just got a bunch of Barber halves in even some keys. He's selling wholesale (Greysheet) prices so the deal will be sweet.

Heres his # 888-222-8058

[Wyatt Earp]

Hey Greg.......I wish I were in a better spot than I am right now...financially speaking. My Barber set now consists of 56 issues...most of the ones I need were minted prior to 1900. After 1900 I only need an 05-O in VG or better.....that one's been very elusive....and the 1913 and 1915 Philly minted issues.

I need all of the 92s....93-O and 93-S...94-P...95-O and 95-S... 96-O and 96-S...97-O and 97-S.....98-S....and 99-S.

Only 2 coins in the set are below VG-8.....the 1901-S and 1904-S. Both of those came from that lot that I bought that contained the 92-S. I ended up getting $182.00 for that coin......paid 89 bucks for the lot of 10...which also included the other 2 semi-key issues.

I got to go to the old school last week......and found my second 1925-D merc, which is rather odd....since that's a relatively low mintage....and I found some wheats and a tired old buffalo nickel....really pitted. It was fun though.

TTYL..............Wyatt

[John S]

You have some nice Barber halfs, I don't have a photo, but I have the hole set from 1892 to 1915 P D and S. There sometimes hard to come by.