1862 Seated Dollar - Your frank opinions please

About 20 years ago i was really interested (enthralled is probably the right word) by the US civil war period and history, and i just "had" to get representative coins from that period. I managed to obtain a few examples, dollars and minor denominations, most of which are quite pleasing.

I was unable to find an 1862 dollar, until one day i saw an ad in Coinworld (by I. Kleinman - is he still around?) advertising this as an AU sample, wow! No picture though. I took the gamble and bought it. The coin arrived, and well, let us say i was not that pleased....bright coin, no toning. I did not return it though- back in those days international transaction were difficult to do - returning a coin to a seller in the U.S was a real hassle. So i kept it.

I have had it out on a tray for many years hoping it would tone naturally, but unlike many other which did tone to a pleasing color, this one did not. The obverse acquired some splotchy brown toning - not nice. The reverse is much nicer, and seems not to have toned much at all.

I would like to hear your frank opinions on this coin, how it would net grade, etc.

Thanks!

Eduard

 

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Eduard:
I wuld take the coin and put it in an old brown coin envelope.
The sulphur should tone this up, in about 5 years or so.

 

Thank Treashunt, i have never tried that. Will give it a try.
Eduard

 

Eduard

For toning there are two excellent methods:
1) Wayte Raymond album pages, the old one with the mylar strips in individual pages (as from a looseleaf binder) are best. They have a high sulphur content.
Put in coin, place between a couple of items (books, whatever) and press together. The heat formed by the compression accellerates the toning process. Wonder toned coins have come out of these.

2) The old brown envelopes.
Again, place the coin in the envelope, and put between a bunch of coins. Wait six months to a year. important: place between coins, to increase the natural heat. Angain, nice toning.
Good luck.

 

Once again, thank you Treashunt! I don't have access to Wayte Raymond albums, so i will try the brown envelope approach.
I was thinking maybe i should carefully dip it before to remove the uneven toning on the obverse? i think i'll try it w/o dipping though.
Eduard

 

My frank opinion- absolute counterfeit.

 

Well, at least nobody can say you don't speak your mind.

Counterfeit? please explain to me why you think so.

 

Doesn't scream couterfeit to me. Splain Please......

 

A frank and honest opinion, at first glance it looked too much like one of the Chinese counterfeits. But that was based on the toning, which obviously is fake - but the diagnostics of the coin itself are fine - just needs a good retoning to undo the harsh cleaning.

 

Here's a question for all.....Eduard states that he purchased this coin some 20 years ago. Were our far eastern friends in the "replica" business back then?

 

Took the words right from my mouth.

 

Big words for a newbie. Please explain.

Newbie meaning just joined forum. Welcome to the forum.

 

Eduard - if you try this please post pictures of the coin again later. I really like the details on this coin.

 

Taco Bell Napkins.. 3-6 months....

 

No, that has been a last 10 years or so phenomenon.

 

By the way, i mentioned that i was keen to collect civil-war era coins due to the historic association. However, i remember reading later that many of the silver dollars of that era, 1861,1862,1863 never actually circulated in the U.S as they were quickly exported to pay for the costs of the war. This supposedly accounts for their scarcity. Maybe somebody knows more about this?

 

With SL Dollars it is much more prevalent in the past 10 years, but with fakes in general, I will agree with you and then some - they have been faking stuff for centuries.

 

Hi. I have been collecting for 15 years and I am not a newbie in that respect. I believe it's counterfeit because I have had to much experience with the Chinese. I believe that the details of the coin clearly reflect my earlier statement.

~Lafayette