Opinions Wanted: 1873 S Seated Half Arrows

Here is another one I picked up in a lot at auction. Another series I am not familiar with, and another coin in higher grade than I am used to having. How would you grade this one? It looks like it possibly had been cleaned at some point. Looks much sharper in person, kind of dull in the pictures. Thanks for the help!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I don't see anything that says "cleaned".
I'd say original surfaces and high VF to XF-40.
Mine is a VF-30 and yours is a touch better.

 

Thanks for the reply Kanga...I was concerned by the way the "black dirt" seems to only be in the tight spots, like along her shield arm.

 

I agree. Nice original coin. 35 or 40.

 

Surfaces look a little odd. I would wait for someone else on here to post, I'm not good telling fakes though so take what I say with a grain of salt.

VF-35

 

I don't see anything in the pictures that jumps out as saying "cleaned," but different pictures may show different things. It looks to me, from those pictures, to be an attractive coin. The fields are generally going to be a different color than the crevices - that's just a natural product of the way the coin circulates. The reverse is especially nice. (I also see absolutely nothing on this coin to indicate a fake, as @coinman1234 is implying.)

I would probably grade it as VF-35. It doesn't have enough detail or luster to make EF-40, I don't think.

 

I see a very attractive coin in the grade ranges of general consesnsus. I see nothing to suggest harsh cleaning or anything to indicate a fake. I'd purchase it if I had come across it first

 

Yes I agree also high vf. Nice details,and color for this specimen . I would also buy it.

 

I have it at 35, and agree with the general opinion that the surfaces are original. A coin which has acquired dirt or patina, and continues to circulate, will end up looking like it was "cleaned" due to handling wearing the color away from the more easily-accessible areas. As physics-fan mentioned, opinion might change with images lit differently, but I'm pretty comfortable with it.

You realize this is a $500 coin in a PCGS slab, right? 228,000 minted, and it's among the rarest of the entire Seated Half series.

 

I also say VF35 and maybe carefully treated long ago, but not a factor, in my opinion.

 

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I will see if I can take a few nicer pictures later tonight. And yes, @SuperDave this coin, the capped bust half, and the draped bust cent that came in the lot are basically worth the amount that I won the whole lot for (was mainly in it for the $40 FV silver). And that's why I have sought opinions on all three. I am thinking about sending in for grading to at least get it into a slab. I would probably keep it as part of my type set regardless. Thanks again, I had figured it was in the VF

 

It's a fantastic representative for a typeset, a scarce issue in highly presentable condition for the grade. I'd be hard to convince to let this one go, even as liquid as it is.

It goes back to something somebody said in another thread - there's a reason why you don't see coins on the market like this. They get snapped up the instant they appear.

 

XF 40

 

I'm in the 35/40 camp.

 

Very nice coin, agree with the consensus..35-40-however, I think it will slab at 40 due to the overall wholesomeness

 

Wow! That's a nice coin.

 

It could very well have been "cleaned" at one time in the past.Humans are filthy animals and I won't touch some of the cruddy pieces I get w/out plastic gloves.God knows what kind of diseases they carry,minimally the trots/flu. Your piece was lucky it wasn't scrubbed/brushed/Brillo'd like some! Congrats on the find....

 

Looks nice to me, I agree with the VF35 assessment. Don't see it as cleaned.

 

Tried to take some better pictures to show the surfaces. Got really frustrated trying to get good shots of the obverse...It does have some stuff going on that didn't really show in the first shots I took of it...Still think I'd like to have it in a slab..not sure though..At this point I could just be extra nitpicky....

 

I built a set one time. Got all but the '78 S. Chased many of them, just could seem to come out on top. My first thought was VF 35 but currently the market would call it 40 I believe.