1892 Barber Half Dollar, PCGS/CAC VF-35, Surprisingly Scarce CAC
1892 Barber Half Dollar, PCGS/CAC VF-35, Surprisingly Scarce CAC
Great color with smoky grey surfaces with a hint of red undertones. For a first year issue, surprisingly scarce as a certified coin between Fine-12 and Very Fine-35, with 107 at PCGS, and 35 NGC in that span. As a comparison, the 1893 has 111 at PCGS and 43 NGC. Typically any coin struck in the first year of a design has a much higher degree of being saved by the public as a souvenir, and even more so than "Year Two", so this makes the 1892 Barber a bit of an outlier. This may be due to the sharp economic crash that occurred in 1893, suggesting coins already in circulation were used harder and coins put aside in 1892 were returned to circulation in 1893/94 as a necessity for survival. More surprisingly VERY scarce with CAC approval: 30 coins at PCGS in VF-35, 3 at NGC versus only 3 coins at CAC (Zero at CACG). Some of this may be due to the somewhat lower value of the coin, however given the popularity of the Barber Half series overall as well as it's importance as a first-year Type coin, this suggest that it is undervalued (certainly with CAC). As an example, one of the two other CAC examples was sold by a major "name brand" dealer at $350 not too long ago versus a PCGS value of $275. The coin offered here has slightly nicer surfaces and a bit more detail than that other coin, in my opinion, having reviewed the images. It is also a near match to the 1895 Half I also have listed - hopefully someone smart will purchase both and keep them together!
PCGS 6461.35/52065426