GtG poll: 1818 Coronet large cent

The answer is "yes", if it were indeed a VF25 like you guessed.

If, on the other hand, it was a Mint State survivor, say from something like the Randall Hoard, then you'd maybe be looking at surviving traces of the original red mint luster.

Which can in fact survive on a 200 year old copper. Or one that's even older.

But your reaction is not unlike the reaction of collectors to the coins in the Randall Hoard, after that was discovered in 1869. Even that far back, a large cent that was "too red" looked unusual, as cited in that article I linked to. It took people a while to realize these hoard survivors were the real deal.

 

I count 21 poll votes as of this post, and only just now do I see that somebody finally nailed the correct PCGS grade for the first time.

Four more votes, and I'll post a link to the cert page and grade.

 

Stalled on 23 poll votes. Rather than watch the thread die before we get to 25, I'll go ahead and share the unredacted TrueView. Click the image to go to the cert page for the answer to the riddle, and thanks for playing.

@Kasia, you may take your victory lap now.

As I hinted to @Cheech9712, this coin is almost certainly an example from the Randall Hoard, as practically all Mint State survivors from 1817-1820 are. Note the distinctive circular die crack around the stars.

 

Me too. Guess there just wasn't enough for the RB designation. That's OK, though. I'd just as soon have a nice BN copper with good eye appeal as I would an average RB or spottier RD coin.

@TypeCoin971793's 1820 Randall Hoard cent (also graded MS62 BN) has less red than mine but it is much more sharply struck and has that hint of iridescence that makes a Brown copper especially appealing. I like his every bit as much as mine. It was part of what inspired me to get this one.

 

Oh, it would have been tough on the wallet, except my wallet was empty as usual. Instead it was tough on my Eclectic Box. This one nice early US copper cost me two of my nice World coppers, both of which are population 1/0 examples. And farewell to the lovely French pattern in my signature banner.

 

I understand and would semi-agree most of the time. I'm more into the "World Coins With Character" thing, as you might have seen, and I'll miss that French essai in particular, though as @Nathan401 mentioned, I got to enjoy it for a while.

BUT I'm happy to get this large cent to enjoy for a while, and I always wanted a Randall Hoard piece. I've owned one MS63 Braided Hair cent before, but this is my first MS example of the earlier Coronet type. And as a US coin, it will be more "liquid" should I wish to swap it down the line for something else later.

Had I not developed a somewhat detached attitude over my years of having a "revolving" collection, I never could have parted with the two pieces I just did. (I had just gotten that Irish gunmoney piece and gotten it slabbed, in fact.)

But I already have my eye on another French piece, and some ideas about something Irish...

 

Also, the loss of the French essai is mitigated by the fact that I'm keeping the PR65 BN 1847 Liberian cent, which is from the same era and of rather similar style, and which happens to be the finest graded at either PCGS or NGC.