1875-S Seated Half Dollar question from Zoid

Folks,

This is another coin I am seeking your kind evaluation of. Like the nickel, I've owned this for a long time and it has lived in this holder since I purchased it. I am less unsure of it's rough grade, but I am definitely open to hear your opinions. Should I pursue certification for this one? Any "red flags?"

Again, my goal is to divest myself of these things and if certification would help in establishing a grade / valuation, that might be of benefit.

Thanks in advance for your kind assistance (and regrets for the photography).

Zoid

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I want it!..... Lordy how I love those seated ladies.... Oh wait, you had a question...... I believe at some point in her life she was likely dipped. But it appears to have been done well. I believe she is a candidate for an MS straight grade.

 

It is tough to judge this coin from these pictures. Sometimes you have to see these coins in person to grade them precisely.

Here is a half dollar with a similar look that I once had in my collection. I thought this piece was okay as an EF when I bought it in a small auction. As it turned out, it had been cleaned and hard the tell-tale hairlines visible at certain angles.



As most type collectors know, the 1853 Arrows and Rays Half Dollar is expensive in true Mint State. Collectors are always looking for sharp ones with just a little wear to keep the costs down.

For a lightly circulated coin, this is probably more like what you would like to see.

 

And I am one of those.

 

I like this coin

I agree.

 

Randy, you have been awarded the Quip Master Badge. Wear it proudly.

 

I couldn't agree with you more. I try to upload the highest resolution photos I can. If you go back up top and click on the images, they should enlarge about 4x for you to get a closer look.

Z

 

OK, the '75-S is a pretty common date/mm coin. This one looks to be a weak strike obverse with a fairly strong strike reverse. You can tell the obverse strike quality by looking at Liberty's hair and the adjacent stars 7 & 8. While the hair looks like it might be worn, stars 7 & 8 are both weaker than the other stars. Also, the hand on the pole looks worn but is really a weak strike. Conclusion is that what might be taken for obverse wear is really a weak strike in the K11 to K1 positions. The weak foot is strike, not wear. The reverse looks to be Reverse L from the die crack at the bottom of the denomination but I haven't tried to determine the obverse.

The coin looks to me like it's been cleaned but I can't say so definitively. I think I see some luster but I also think the coin has sort of a "washed-out" look, more so on the obverse than the reverse.

There are a number of dings on Liberty's drapery and arm and some minor scratching in the obverse fields. The reverse looks nice despite some minor hits on the motto.

So, overall, I would say this might slab as a MS-62 to 63 if it straight-grades. It might not. This coin Greysheets at $460/$665. I would say it's worth the $50 to chance it straight-grading.

Wait for opinions from others here. There could well be disagreement, as hard as that is to imagine.

Compare your coin to my 1853 A&R NGC MS-62 CAC.

 

The one thing you can't do is swirl them under the light. That's where the problems showed up on that 1853 Arrows and Rays piece I posted.

 

I might actually be able to do a short video like that and post it. Might be a little while. Stay tuned.

Z

 

The only thing I'm not liking is there appears to be no luster. Could just be the photos, but it looks a bit dull and if so, it could be from a dip.

 

It's really a pain in the butt holding the coin with one hand and trying to video using the other. The other problem is trying to avoid / deal with overhead lights and keeping everything in focus with the phone as well. This is the best I could get on the obverse . . . . . .

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After seeing the video, my opinion of the coin has risen and the likelihood of having been improperly cleaned has gone down. My original answer to your question was to submit it for grading and that hasn't changed.

 

+1

 

Man, it took a while to get this converted, but here is the reverse.

Thanks for the votes of confidence ^^. It is a really nice looking half.

I hope to be posting a few more in the coming days for your kind assistance.

Z

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My opinion of the coin has gone down. I actually liked the way it looked in the original pictures better.

I also like Johnmiltons 1853 better than Publious2s' coin.

 

Dipped? Yes. MS straight grade? No, I don’t think so.

 

You don’t think the remaining luster would warrant a straight grade?

 

I think it shouldn’t straight grade (and not UNC either) but the TPGs may likely call it MS61/62. I agree with Publius2 that it has a certain “washed out” look which bothers me.

 

My first thoughts- high AU and dipped. The later pics didn't change my mind.