Thread: Columbian Half Dollar - Guess the Grade

This is one of two slabbed coins that I own. I don't particulary like slabbed coins, but the price was right and the coin was, for lack of a better word, pretty. I was going to send it in to NGC for regrading knowing very well that it would come back less than what was on the other TPG slab, but at least I would get a more honest answer. Then I realized it would have been a waste of time and money just to have the coin reslabbed when I basically knew what the coin would grade at anyway. Now lets put the CT gang to work and see what you all would grade this at. After a day or so I will post what the slabbed grade was. Thanks.

im thinking something around Au-58

Au 59 MS 62 on a good day.

Looking at the toning/coloration (powdery champagne), I'd bet the coin was dipped once and has since started to tone back...Mike

You got me excited when I read the title. I collect Colombian coins and recently found a colombian 50 centavos coin in the reject cup of a coin counter. What's better was it was one I didn't have yet.

Anyway, that's a nice coin OP. I've yet to pull one of those out of circulation, but I know several people that have.

has anyone ever seen an AU-59 graded coin by pcgs, ngc, or anacs?

No, I was being funny....

MS63 and might go 64.

Well, the lines on the mainsail are there. That's good. They're generally the first to go from wear.
I'll agree with clembo, MS-63 or -64.

What you don't see in the pics is that the coin has nice luster - but I wouldn't call it brilliant - which made me suspect exactly what Leadfoot was suggesting that maybe at one time it was dipped. But then again, I have never seen one of these coins with brilliant luster. Maybe I just never saw the right one, but this is one of the best that I have personally seen. My supply is limited to just what I see at my coin shop and shows. Ever since I first started taking pics with my camera - I now notice that it picks up spots that were not seen before - such as the apparent rub on the chin. The marks on the cheek are much more pronouced on this pic than they are when looking at the coin through a loupe. Other than the distracting bag hit on the sail, the reverse is in nice shape. There are a few other hits on a few letters, but it is nice. It is tough to find one of these with full details in the sails. The third sail appears weak, but that is typical for this issue. Thats all I have to say for now.

Originally Posted by jaceravone

Ever since I first started taking pics with my camera - I now notice that it picks up spots that were not seen before....

Yeh, cameras (and to a lesser extent scanners) pick up all sort of nasty stuff the eye doesn't see.
Cameras generally have a better resolving power than the eye.
Plus the eye/brain combination tends to filter out minor distractions.

I find imaging at a high resolution, then reducing to screen size results in an image that comes close to what the eye sees.

Here's one I did:



For me this image only takes up about two-thirds of the screen width.
But I run may screen size at 1152 x 864 pixels.
I try to size the image so that it would fill the screen for someone running at 800 x 600 pixels.
Many people still operate at the resolution.

I would say MS63. Very nice for a Columbian commem.

Kanga - I'll trade ya!

This is a great coin, I think strike wise would be a 66, but there is a ding on the sail. So I might grade it 65. I have 2 66s here for comparison. By the way the pcgs look better than the photo..

Originally Posted by ML94539

This is a great coin, I think strike wise would be a 66, but there is a ding on the sail. So I might grade it 65. I have 2 66s here for comparison. By the way the pcgs look better than the photo..

I love the NGC one. Very frosty and I like that. Now I would have to say - THAT is the nicest looking Columbian that I have ever seen. The toning is pretty harsh on the PCGS, but I am sure it looks great in person.

I will let it go for a little while longer and share what the original grade was and what I think it is.

I'll guess 63.