1921 S Walking Liberty Half Dollar
Low Ball!! AG or Less Features
Extremely Rare/Low Mintage* Only 548k Minted, 4th Lowest of the Series
Coin Pictured Is The One You Will Receive
Broadly, the ideal low ball coin is one that has been worn to the point that the design is worn nearly flat but is still identifiable as to type, date, and mintmark. Many low ball coins fall into the range of Poor-1 (PO01) to About Good-3 (AG03), with some leniency in the range more inclusive of better grades for modern coins or series that did not circulate as extensively. A survey of low ball collectors provides more color.
The marketplace dynamics for low ball coinage isn’t really unique – it comes down to function of supply versus demand. What’s different and perhaps even perplexing for those not attuned to this aspect of collecting is how a coin graded Poor or Fair could garner a significantly higher value than one encapsulated Fine, Very Fine, or even better. “When you get right down to it, some of these really tough PO01 coins are much rarer than their high-grade counterparts,” asserts Lane. “The high-grade coins were pulled from the mint, banks, etc. and carefully put away. Imagine a coin like a Three Cent Silver – small, thin, easily damaged, and oftentimes used as a screwdriver in the day! After all these years, how many survived undamaged, unmelted, and ended up in perfectly worn low grades?”