Indian Head 1859 Penny - opinions appreciated

Done.

 

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No one in the thread mentions it being cleaned. I guess the buyer would be bummed to hear that. I wonder if he got it graded.

 

Here is a fundamental question. Why are cleaned or polished coins "bad?"

Most collectors want their coins to be as close to the way they were when they came off the dies as possible. Time and years of possible use work against you to achieve that. You can shine or clean a coin anytime, but you can't never get it back to its original state once that has been lost.

 

The 72 doubled? That one was polished to death. Same seller I believe.

 

Excuse my lack of know how about this. I assume what you mean here is that the doubled die penny from this same seller has been cleaned also. I'm comparing it to this NGC MS66 one and I'm afraid I don't see the luster difference indicating one has been cleaned and one has not.
Any help would be appreciated as usual.
https://www.apmex.com/product/10490...MIkcuGys7r6gIVTL7ACh0pjwegEAQYASABEgIkP_D_BwE

 

A couple years back I helped a friend inventory his deceased fathers collection. It was huge. One box I opened made me audibly gasp. It contained stacks of gleaming mirror like Indian head cents. The very next moment I saw they were all buffed and polished...... I suppose some folks like their coins that way. I get it kind of. I take old car parts and polish them to death all the time.

 

I didn't see any mention of the sellers ebay name. How do you know it's the same seller?

 

If it gleams like the bumper of a 57 Buick and it is not a proof coin.... It is polished.

 

I don’t know. I don’t purchase coins on EBay. I saw it mentioned by somebody else in your thread that it was the same seller.

 

Here are close-up of one NGC graded MS-65, Red. The difference is very subtle, but any experienced collector or dealer will note it. The coin should not be be super shiny with a mirror like surface. It is more frosted, which was the way it was made.

 

This is exactly what the seller is hoping that a buyer will think. They are drastically different. There is no luster on the polished cent. And business strike coins Don’t reflect a mirror image like a chrome Cadillac bumper.

 

Thanks everyone.

 

Sorry for the late response, I’ve been at work all day. Somehow the second post on this coin didn’t post. I’ll try again:
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/can-you-tell-if-lincoln-has-been-cleaned.363705/#post-4650207