1897O barber half

[medicman]

found this earlier this year it seems to have some rust color i dont know how to remove without messing it up so as is does anyone think it would grade good? thanks wendell.

 

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[BruceW]

Nice find!? But oh, if you could have found it a hundred or so years earlier!
? ? ?Looks like it is (or was) VG to perhaps Fine, but you would have to adjust the grade down because of the corrosion & pitting.? But the good news is that the 97-O is one of the lower mintages (632,000) of that series & starts out at $60 in good & goes to $100 in VG & $350 in Fine according to my 4 year old coin price book.? Probably higher by now as Barber Halves have been doing well lately.
? ? ?Whatever you do, don't clean it any more than you have already.? Just looked at it again & I think it would possibly have graded as a fine were it not for the corrosion. Looks like the letters are there in the headband & enough detail on the wings & face.? On Ebay they might bid it up to somewhere around the VG price in an attempt to get that hole filled cheaply in their coin book.? Might want to try an auction title like "1897 O Barber Half VG-F But...." & then give detail of the problems in the item description along with your photos.? I expect you will get at least $60 for it.

Bruce