Barber halves to go on display

The number one collection in the PCGS Set RegistrySM of Barber half dollars with major varieties (circulation strikes, 1892-1915) will be displayed at the Professional Coin Grading Service booth at the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo Sept. 8-10. It will be only the second time the collection has ever been publicly exhibited.

Author:
NMN
Publish date:
Aug 24, 2011

“This stunning set of Barber halves was assembled over decades by Dr. and Mrs. Peter K. Shireman,” said BJ Searls, Set Registry Manager.

Highlights of the collection include:

2012 U.S. Coin Digest — Up-to-date values in up to 11 condition grades!

• 1892-O Micro “O” rare variety, graded PCGS Secure Plus™ MS-65
• 1894-O, PCGS Secure Plus MS-66+, formerly in the Hugon Collection
• 1904-O, PCGS Secure Plus MS-66+, formerly in the Eliasberg Collection
• 1904-S, PCGS Secure Plus MS-67, formerly in the Norweb Collection
• 1906-S, PCGS Secure Plus MS-68, the finest known and with a Hugon pedigree.

Dr. Shireman began collecting coins at the age of 10 in Kansas City, Mo., in 1968.

“One event that stands out is seeing a friend of one of my older brothers checking his pocket change and knowing that a 1964-D nickel was a common date,” he said. “That seemingly trivial event piqued my interest, and I started collecting coins from circulation.”

Shireman resumed collecting in 1987 after attending college and receiving his medical degree from the University of Michigan. The circulation strikes Barber half dollar collection assembled by him and his wife, Janice, was submitted earlier this year for PCGS Secure Plus service.

What does it take to assemble a top-ranked collection?

“Passion. Patience. Persistence. Focus. Luck,” said Shireman. “Decades of searching, hunting and holding, and a great dealer are all needed. Our set would not be the high-end premium quality set it is today without [dealer] Harry Laibstain who has helped us considerably along the way.

“Meeting fellow Mint State Barber half dollar Registry set builders, such as Dr. Steve Duckor and Dale Friend, has been a real highlight of our collecting experience.”

Established in 2001, the PCGS Set Registry, online at www.pcgs.com/setregistry, now hosts more than 58,000 sets.

The Long Beach Expo will be held at the Long Beach, Calif., Convention Center. Public hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 8-9, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 10. Admission, good for all three days, is $8, and $4 for seniors 65 and older and children ages 8 to 16. Admission is free for children ages 7 and younger.

More information and discount coupons are available online at www.longbeachexpo.com, or call (805) 962-9939.