I am almost sure that this Bust 1817 Half Dollar (O-106) is cleaned. The Appearance is dull, and smooth. I also see a sort of "Sparkle" at the right angle. (guessing dipped) I need to know how the value will be affected with a coin in this condition? Or is it even worth sending in to get reslabbed, or even trying my luck with a dealer.
It looks dipped, so you gotta ask yourself, why did they dip it? It probably made it look better. Personally, I wouldn't waste my time with it but that's just me.
It may be just me, but I’m not inclined to believe that any coin coming out of a basement slabbing service is not a problem coin.
Someone's nose is growing.... Now what story is this one ....purchased on ebay,? Or purchased for face value at a yard sale?
Neither! This particular NNC 1817 O-106 was inherited and given to him by his uncle’s cousin, who happens to be butler to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg whose great great grandfather was given this half dollar in 1799 by John Adams himself, 18 years before it was supposedly minted!
Dipped for sure. I’d call it au 50-53. I’d try the paper envelope trick for a couple years and see how it looks
Yes, I have done that, and it has often worked. In my experience it takes five or six years, but that’s how the toning got there in the first place.
Fun thread...... However in all seriousness, aren’t these old bust halves expected to have been given a cleaning? Granted, this appears pretty fresh. But I thought it was somewhat expected that earlier generations of collectors would clean these old halves.
I try to make the point, but some people refuse to listen. There is a difference between cleaning and dipping. Cleaning involves moving the surface metal around, which often damages the coin from a market perspective. Dipping involves removing a very small amount of oxidized metal from the surface. In the best cases, it results in virtually an imperceptible change. Dipping can result in cleaning if it is done for too long or too many times. The current coin could go either way. The photos are shot at and angle, and photos can never be a better substitute for a personal examination.
It would be great to see images shot flat to the lens. That would give us a better idea about the coin. What's going on at 12 o'clock on the obverse? Scratch or die crack?