Time for a Quiz! Now, a 28-S SLQ in AU58 Slabbed condition is going to sell for less than $200, closer to $100. This one sold for close to $200. http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=69013&Lot_No=63184&src=pr#Photo Why? See how good you guys are
Good Question: I can list all the reasons it should not have sold for almost 3X bid. Weak Strike: Mushy all over including no full head Overgraded: The wear on the right leg extends from the hip to the toes, there is more than just a little high point wear Surfaces/hairlines: This coin is brimming with marks and hairlines. Blast White: No toning whatsoever leads me to believe it was dipped. Late Die State: I think die cracks are cool but they don't usually drive a significant premium I don't know much about die varieties, ddo/ddr's, or errors related to this series, but my guess is that the price has to be related to one of these reasons.
Looking at STATES I would say that is a possibility. Of course it is also possible that buyer had more money than sense.
I stumped Paul AND Doug? Wow! It's what's known as a "Teardrop" variety and an early state teardrop at that. Look just to the left of the star under the "W" in "WE" and you'll see the retained cud there. The teardrop comes on the 20-S, 26-S and 28-S. The most common is the 26-S, the 20-S is the most valuable and considered the scarcest, but the 28-S is also uncommon. This one I would have paid moon money for had I seen it, it's the only teardrop that I have seen that does not show obverse clash marks. I have way too many (over 250 I think) 28-Ss, the vast majority cherrypicked die variety coins and have only found 3 teardrops, 2 were cherrypicked, 1 from eBay, all 3 are worn copies (FR/AG, G and VG) and the only ones I have ever been able to buy.
$200 for a die chip. Of course I suppose I shouldn't boggle too much, there are the mouse heads in the large cents of 1817 and 1819 that attract a lot of interest as well. Of course for those the SMALLER the die chip the greater the interest since those ies almost always have the die chips..
That's no accomplishment to do it to me. I could care less about varieties/errors and always have. To me they are detractions. So I never bother to study them or even look at them for that matter.
I have a similar point of view but I respect those that like varieties. It takes diligence and patience of which I have neither.
Interesting thread. I'd never even heard of a "teardrop" variety... The only thing I noticed when I looked at the thread before was the relatively late die state with neat cracks. Thought something odd was going on with the 8 in the date, but I didn't recall any overdates for this year/mm. Thanks for sharing!
Interesting! I've heard rld refer to the teardrop variety before, nice to see one. I don't see anything remotely resembling a teardrop, more like a glob adhering to Liberty's leg. (Or am I not seeing it right?)
Correct, it looks like a blob next to her left leg. Here's a couple I found in Heritage archives.. both 20-Ss but the break is in the same place on all the dates known with the break. http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=64122&Lot_No=24170&src=pr http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=68043&Lot_No=63221&src=pr
Thanks, rld.I guess It looks like an upside down teardrop, personally I think it looks like a banana slug oozing up Liberty's robes, but I guess that doesn't sound as romantic!
