1875 CC Trade Dollar....what would you grade it to be?

I am slowly getting back into collecting for a long break. I have this 1875 CC Trade Dollar, but am not certain of what it would grade. I don't know if it has every been cleaned given how nice it looks. I have had it for many years.
Please let me know what you think and which service you have used that you recommend to have it slabbed.

Your time and responses are appreciated.

jrw711

 

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Very nice! What are all of those tiny striated lines in the fields? I compared yours with those on http://www.pcgs.com/photograde/#/Trade/Grades and looks like maybe AU53 or 55? Which do you think?

 

Nice , I'd go as high as 58 as there is just minor wear on the high points .

 

I'd say it was cleaned , and the 58 was if the hairlines aren't bad enough to detail her . Did you ever weigh her or check out the MMs to see if they match known MMs of that date ?

 

What a gorgeous strike!! I would call it Uncirculated details. I get the feeling that is was definitely cleaned. If was a not cleaned, I'd go MS-65 PL.

 

I'm almost hesitant to post, as I don't even really trust myself to say whether this coin is real or not. Not that I think it's fake, it's just that I haven't devoted the amount of study it would take to tell if it's real or not. Here are my impressions of the coin:

• I see things that "could" be casting bubbles (for instance, check out the E in TRADE), but it's impossible for me to say yes or no from the pictures.
• The detail looks razor sharp. In fact, that actually bothers me a little -- it looks too sharp to me.
• Are those hairlines? Die polish marks? Something else? Does it cartwheel properly or is it highly reflective?

That said, if it's real, the detail certainly puts it in the high AU category, if not MS. If it's die polish I'm looking at, then I'd say MS65 and probably PL, based solely on the quantity of die polish in the fields. If it's hairlines, probably UNC details, cleaned.

I'm so confused.

 

That's why I asked if he weighed it and checked the MM against known real coins . The coin looks right to me , but those little details you mentioned do bother me on a coin so often faked , and some are faked quite well . I could see this as a coin struck with new dies though and unfortunately hairlined . Hope it checks out because it's a beauty of a coin . The reason I didn't say it could be a fake is because of some people here that say any Trade dollar that's unslabbed is fake , which just isn't true all the time . But caution should be warranted when buying any unslabbed Trade dollar .

 

I second that. Could not have said it better though.

 

I'm on the fence on this one, while it has one of the correct hub marriages, type one obverse and type one reverse, there are a few things that worry me about this coin. The spacing of some of the elements are a little off such as the period after fine and the comma after grains. All the coins I have looked at from each hub has each element in the same place, no matter how worn the die may have been. I believe you should send this coin to the TPG of your choice to err on the safe side.

 

Also, above the last 0 in 900.

Agreed, very confused.

 

I'm thinking cast ,and then whizzed to cover up the bubbles . I hate to say it but looks to good to be true,and even if it is legit it's been cleaned.

After a second peek at the obv. Look at to the left of the one and just down from the I IGWT. There is like fresh chips, the craters in the these chips are bright silver. Something a miss this one would go back if mine.

 

I would say genuine, AU details, cleaned. The hairlines look like polished surface marks.

 

OP asked for a recommendation on grade and which TPG to use.
So far the grades widely range from AU details to MS65PL, but no recommendation on grading service.
Is there a preference for NGC or PCGS for trade dollar grading?

 

I think I'd prefer PCGS by default, just because of the slightly higher liquidity their coins enjoy. With Trade dollars, IMO, the main reason to get them slabbed is for authentication, and any major TPG can do that competently and reliably.

 

Not sure about this. It is cleaned, 100%, if it is real. However, now that @Paul M. Noticed the casting bubbles, I am not sure what to think. It is a good fake if it is fake, and I think it only has about a 60% chance of grading genuine if you sent it in for grading. Just my opinion...

 

UNC details cleaned.

 

If it is cast like some are saying , then it wouldn't have any anomalies like misplaced dots , as it would mimic the host coin in every way . As for the dot after Fine I have Trade dollars with no dot to one almost as close and one farther away . Can one say for sure it's real , not from a picture . But you can't say it's a fake either . I'd send it to ANACS or the 2 big TPGs for authentication . I'm also leaning that it's real .

 

I truly appreciate everyone's comments, suggestions, and observations. I am going to contact one of the 3 grading services and see what they say.

 

No matter what the TPG's say, it should be a good learning experience for all of us. Be sure to report back as to what they say.

 

Will do. Thanks again all.