I've been going through some of my late father's coins. Tons of junk silver, with some other interesting things mixed in here and there. What exactly do I have here?
Looks like an 1858 with a damaged or possibly altered last digit. Look at the "5" in these pictures (from PCGS).
Interesting. Good observation. I don't have a great eye for this sort of thing. But zooming in on my example, I don't think it's a stretch to suggest that last digit may have been tampered with.
I agree that it looks most like an altered 1858. But weighing it will definitively tell the tale. A genuine 1853 No Arrows will weigh 6.68 grams. Anything after that, including the 1853 Arrows, will weigh 6.22 grams. Of course there is the Black Swan possibility: A completely new and unknown die variety. Vanishingly small possibility, though.
If it is a real 1853 no arrows, only 44,000 minted, survival rate must be very small, and in G-04 it's $1500. (As per USA Coin Book) 1853-P Recut Date - No Arrows or Rays 44,200 1,534
Accounting for wear, I think 5.72 grams is within a reasonable range for a coin that started out at 6.22. The 6.68 gram starting weight of a genuine no arrows would be pushing it. This is probably not the real deal. But here's my attempt at a closer up shot of the date anyway.
