F12, F15, Or VG20? Barber Half (Or Neither)

Should make VF20. Letters alone can't be a deciding factor on any coin, they are general guidelines only.

Are looking at the same coin? I see an honest VF30 with great eye appeal.

Great eye appeal. F-15

Ninja,
"...for good or bad, LIBERTY seems to be the deciding factor..." TRUE

"...however I do not always agree with this..." Nor do I

"... as there are other details that should be observed and I have seen coins with LIBERTY visible more clearly than others yet the top row of leaves (at the bottom) weak or in some cases missing, and I have seen coins with a weaker LIBERTY and the top row of leaves well outlined."

" Still, the LIBERTY is the expectation. In addition, it seems to me that Barber Half grading has changed a bit, where coins in Fine condition are required to have less LIBERTY visible than prior (10 years ago?)."

Here, Ninja, let a Barber person give you a bit of advice. Each year, and most especially each mint, has its own characteristics. On some of the examples from New Orleans in the worst years the LIBERTY means NOTHING and the leaves, hair detail and the like are the determining factors. Uncirculated examples with the last three letters entirely missing are accepted as MS-60. A fact of life.

But Philadelphia did not suffer the same fate. A different standard for a different mint is , I think, part of the game and the knowledge of it is what I offer to you. I graded your example as only a F-12 because it was a Philie. Had it been a New Orleans example it would have scored a VF-20.

"Perhaps its finally years of perpetual Barber Half grading and I finally get it, or maybe things have changed."

Things haven't changed, Ninja, as much as people have realized that this series, I mean examples of this series, are far scarcer than any price guide would have you to believe. And the examples which you have posted, well, I would be happy and proud to own any one of them.

My best, Matthew

Our website is:

http://barbercoins.org/

For what it is worth, I am a contributing editor.
And we are a non-profit site.

Coin Ninja,
I just bought a replacement computer yesterday and today I have sucessfully got an old scanner to work.
If you would like, I will seach through examples of "greater than fine" New Orleans Barber coins that I have and post pictures for you.
You are not likely to have the opportunity to examine such coins in person unless you visit large coin shows.
(Sigh) Pickins are mighty poor out there!

My pleasure, Ninja,
I do not have many, but I am especially happy with this.
A 1901-O Quarter.
I bought it raw, as a fine, between 1988 and 1992.
I paid $27 for it. I still have the 2X2 somewhere.
In retrospect, I think that the dealer was not a specialist in the Barber series.
In 2005 I sent it into ANACS.
It came back --- VF 30.
Let me know what you learn from studying it.
When I get the hang of the new machine I'll do better with the pictures. These photos are from the scan made back in 2005.
My best,
Matthew

I feel the need to correct myself. I think I had a little too much gin that night. Or something. Definitely 15, perhaps because of the exceptional eye appeal (to me, were I selling) 20 tops.

Now I'm going to read everything the expert wrote.

I'll give it a " somewhere around fine" grade. Personally I thing anything above the lower end grade of "good" is a nice collectible example of a barber. Back in the day these saw some heavy circulation. Thats a nice gun metal toned coin you have there.