1849 O half dollar help

Hello there folks. I’m looking for input on the authenticity of this half dollar. I know it has been cleaned but I’d love insight into any red flags in terms of authenticity. These are the sellers photos.
Thanks!

 

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Being harshly cleaned when it shines like that I would run away from that coin fast. Wait for other opinions on authenticity...

 

Gotta agree, even if it is real, I would pass. As far as authenticity, can't help with that at all. Boobs look a tad strange to me tho'!

 

Way to shiny for its age. Definitely cleaned and harshly I'd say. Firgetvit and look elsewhere for a better coin, even if in lower grades.

 

Been looking at it and I'll vote authentic, not that my opinion means much.

 

It has been harshly cleaned. Looks like it was mechanically polished. Run away from that coin.

 

Well, I couldn’t help myself. Met the fella who was selling it and decided to take a chance. It looked a little better in person but not great. Brought it home and decided a very quick dip in eZest couldn’t hurt an already cleaned coin. Dipped it for, literally, 2 seconds and am happy with the results. It’s still a details coin, but a much more attractive one than it was. Again, took a shot but not a particularly large one.

 

Well, at least the boobs look better with your dip! Let us know what happens if you send it in for a grade! good luck!

 

The date numbers look interesting. I don't have a reference to look it up.

 

I have no intention of sending it in for a grade knowing it would earn a details distinction. I’m happy to have it as it is.

 

Put it in one of the old-fashioned yellow manila 2X2 envelopes and let it grow some new skin. It'll probably still show the cleaning, but in a few years it will look much better.

Depending on what you paid I wouldn't kick her out.

 

Just curious what you think would have been a fair price for the coin? I’ll let you know what I paid after you respond.

 

With that degree of damage from cleaning, I would never buy it. But if you insisted, no more than $75-90, as it is not an attractive coin. I would rather have a straight graded original surfaces coin, at a lower grade.

 

Fair assessment @Morgandude11 though I was really wondering what @okbustchaser would have paid. I’ll hold off on revealing my purchase price until he responds.

 

I would be at $125 to $150 but I'm not into collecting these.

 

Somewhere in the $150 to $175 range. Might even go to $200. Without the cleaning it's an $800 coin.

 

I paid $75 for the coin. I became much happier with my purchase once it cleaned up. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it now. It’ll either end up in my son's type book or I’ll turn it around to finance other interests. Thanks to everyone on the forum for their input.

 

The coin is not worn, and it could easily regain some tarnish/toning and not look so obviously cleaned. Not talking artificial toning, just the way silver will darken from handling and the environment. I would not toss it out, and I think you paid OK price for it.

 

That would be smart to either give it to your son as a type coin, or flip it and make $50 or so. It won’t look better until it re-tones, and that would take years. The price you paid is acceptable, but I would rather see an original surfaces coin that was a VG or VF and not harshly cleaned. There is something interestingly historical about those type of coins, as opposed to a higher grade harshly cleaned coin.

 

This is my favorite series and I have an AU example of this exact date in my collection. Without the cleaning/polishing, this coin should grade AU-53 and I would classify the coin as being authentic. Value is debatable due to the cleaning/polishing, but angles, lighting, and clarity of the last two photos earlier in this thread certainly make the coin much more appealing. If it looks as good in hand, then you got a really good deal at $75.