Hello all, I had a couple questions regarding this half dime! I took some different angled photos to try and give a good idea of the coin in hand What would you grade would you give it? (All stripes in the shield are sharp & split) Do you think the black dots on the back would cause a details grade? (Under a loupe it doesn't look like corrosion and its not gunky) Should I try to give it an acetone bath to see if it removes the black dots? is it worth sending to PCGS to get graded? (assuming in total it would cost $32) What would you value the coin at? Thanks in advanced and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
I wouldn't dip it, it appears "crusty" and original. I think conservation at NGC would be a good option if you wanted to get it slabbed. I like the coin quite a bit, with the dime dies being used for the date.
I'll go with 45 but I think the services would put it in a details holder. I would give it a proper acetone bath but I don't think it will remove all of the dark stuff on the reverse.
I'd go much higher than 45, personally, at least as far as details alone are concerned. It looks like a 55-58 to me? But I do agree on the acetone. I'd try that and maybe a bit of careful work with a wooden toothpick or hard rose thorn to try and remove the deposits without scratching the coin. Don't dip it. The color is nice, I think, though I can't confidently attest to its originality. It might be secondary (re-)toning after an old cleaning. I'm not so sure it would straight-grade at PCGS. On a wild guess, I'd lay 50-50 odds at best. Maybe worth a shot if you don't mind risking your submission fee on the chance you'll get a "Genuine/xx Details" slab.
So are you saying to dip a wooden toothpick in acetone and rub the dark areas? Ive never used this stuff before so I just assumed you gently place the coin in and take it out after a minute or so. And can acetone remove the toning? Ive heard people say both yes and no
As a half dime collector this is a nice specimen, and agree with Lord Mac I grade it Au 55 anyday. Your coin is the second this week of an 1847 PR .repunched date RPD-002 cross reverence none,description : repunched date 1847/18 repunched 1 south seen below the serif and base,repunched 8 south seen below the top, middle, and bottom. Notice I said proof I cannot tell from the images you posted ,in hand I could attribute it. But not from photos. This very well may be an impaired proof, or it could be an MS struck with proof dies. 1847 had a mintage of 1,274,000 there's no record of the number of proof strikes. However if you dont know you will now it was a common pratice using proof dies to strike MS coins after the proof run had been met. @Mainebill There are two RPD for this year yours is the 002 as I can match digit style of the 7 as well Date placement. Now is the hammered H-10 a proof IDK for sure I do know it was struck on a set of dies that did indeed produce proof coins in 1847. This coins reverse has heavy lettering also found only on proof dies. As others have posted you need to do a short acetone bath < NO Rubbing> no tooth picks either.... this series was widely collected and housed in cardboard/paper high in surfer which caused them to tone and tone dark it has been dipped at least 1 time in its life time....to remove the darkness of the piece. Now for the bad news....sorry those spots are or look to be carbon spots! Whats that mean...it means that they came from within the coin to the surface. They cannot be removed ....sometimes lightened but can and will over time darken again. If this specimen was in my collection it would recieve a acetone bath and kept raw. Yes it is a hammered coin as described by the op as sharp lines in its shield. Well all details are sharp as should be when struck with a proof die plus squade rims. Also the 1847 001 rpd the denticals are square teeth, as this specimen teeth are rounded at their top. I personally would be very happy to have in my collection as is! And just accept the fact that a 173 year old coin still has a beatiful strike and a variety . There is only 1 other draw back.... that is there isnt much if any premium . The references i used came from an 1847 rpd 002 from the National Numismatic collection Smithsonian Institution. Value $100/125. Lower side due to spots. Enjoy your find....its very cool!
Bill I hope you dont mind using your specimen to compare. Compare the 2 specimens twins from the same dies. And notice Bills coin was given an MS 64 as they arent sure if it was a proof strike or a MS strike using retired proof dies. Rev. Heavy lettering Date placement to rock Rounded tops of teeth Squared rims Digits style thin 7. Repunched 1 and 8 All point to proof dies used.
Acetone should not remove the toning unless the toning is some kind of artificially applied coloring which is susceptible to a solvent- in which case you'd probably want it off of there anyway. Natural toning, be it original or secondary, should be fine. As to the toothpick recommendation, I merely mention that (or a rose thorn) as a sort of pointy tool that can be used to remove such deposits with less risk to the coin, since the wood is softer than the metal and less likely to scratch it, unless you really go crazy with your poking and prying.
Not to contradict your statement Rob about using a tooth pick to help remove the crud. It is just those who havent done this before should try it on a coin of lesser value. Yes us old timmers who have done such are better schooled in doing so. I've also have tried freezing the coin in an ice cube ....this sometimes will loosen the crud due to expansion and contraction of the medal . I am 100% sure that all the dark spotting is in fact carbon spots. Which cant be removed as I stated before...Sometime they get lighter in color but always will be on the surface. When I get in today ill find and post a proof nickel that is a perfect strike great toning color...but looks to have leaches on Jefferson as well the surfaces of the coin. It is a very cool piece, but im glad it happen to this proof Jeff,and not a better specimen. Years ago I sent in an 1936 S/S buffalo to be graded. There was nothing on its surfaces at the time graded. However today it has black spots on it....had I known that this would happen I would never spent the money to grade...still a neat variety, but no eye appeal do to the spotting.
Wow thanks for all that information, I appreciate it! So I bought some 100% pure acetone off ebay and it just came in today. Any tips on how to do an acetone dip? Never done it before but figured its worth a shot. And in person its got great lustrous fields! If they didn't record any proofs for this year, then it couldn't be an impaired proof right? Best case just proof dies when struck? Thanks again for all the help, I have a chance to piggy back on a PCGS submission. Total cost for sending it in would be 35. I'm thinking it might be worth a shot
No proof coins were struck, just no record as to quanity and in some cases Ive seen where proofs were struck lets say 1000, but only 250 sold. In that case most of the time the other 750 unsold were melted back down. The use of proof dies has been done many times. At different points in history if you research the date and series you be surprised the reasons coins were melted, subject to lower mintages for all kinds of reasons. The shield nickel became to be for 2 reasons 1 wanting to stop coins especially silver for being hoarded, and #2 Two members of the house owned a nickel mine. The acetone bath I use like a baby food size jar or a ball canning jar with a tight lid. Place the coin in the jar...and cover it with the acetone. If you notice that the clear solution has a dirty look dump it put in some fresh ,allow the coin to soak 8 to 12 hours. No need to wipe at all lay the wet coin on a towel and the acetone will dry very fast.. acetone is very flammable no smoking, or open fire. It will also evaporate quickly so make sure the lid is tight. When open you may hear the gas vapors excape. Acetone will not hurt your skin so no worries about that. Good luck I do not believe due to the carbon spots will hold the coin back....a d speaking of... the acetone may turn the spots look worse. As in some cases the spots will lighten, but the finial results may not be a good thing! Personally I leave it be....as h10 collector with a few hundred h 10s one learns to accept these little gems as is.....since most spent most of their life in a coin board that toned them dark. Feel free to ask me anything else that might help you....Ill do my best to give you the answer you need. Paddy
Here is my proof Jefferson with leeches carbon spots And nothing can be done to this coin to fix it....but a good teaching aid.
@vdbpenny1995 You would be better off buying the acetone at a hardware store. Even Walmart sells it. I imagine that it took some time to ship as it must ground ship,no way it could go by air.
