I recently bought and then finally had graded at PCGS this peso. I rather liked the coin but full admit it certainly is not perfect but what I could afford. Hope viewers like it:
Yes, that hurt a bit but bought as AU so guess the seller thought so. Of course I do not and see a really nice coin in hand. These grades are always a puzzler to some degree as I think the fact that it is a rare coin increased the strictness in grading. The coin itself certainly has no egregious hairlines but what to do; I thought about cracking it out but who knows where that would go?
That's a beautiful grade and the key date for that series. Nice acquisition! I think, since you have it slabbed, keep it in the slab. When it comes time to sell the coin, it should fetch a higher price, compared to a "raw" coin. In this market plastic rules. I have one, but it is only in EF condition.
Click on image for a blowup and see if you see any obvious defects other than minimal bag marking......
I only see a few hairlines on the left of the obverse by the rays. They look more like die polish marks than cleaning scratches to me.
Nice coin. I love the obverse design. The lack of luster may have been the reason for being called cleaned.
Nice coin! The Cabalito remains one of my favorite coins. For those who want to know pretty much everything you need to know about them, the book MEXICAN BEAUTY, Un Peso Caballito by Allan Schein definitely deserves a read (plus, it was printed in both English and Español). I have the much easier to obtain 1913 in NGC AU 55 (which I really need to re-photograph - the white balance looks off in the picture below). As for the grade on the coin posted, that's definitely a bummer. I obviously have no idea if the coin was cleaned or not, but based only on the expanded photograph, the fuzziness around some of the rays and the other features might, and I emphasize might, suggest re-toning after a past cleaning? I'm no expert, but that's the only thing I can see that might suggest it.
Yes, good reference and he did an excellent job on the book. The value of these has seemed to go through the roof. I have 1910, 1912, 1913, 1914 but neither of the 1911 coins...
Very nice looking coin for the key of the series! I would resubmit that coin if it were mine. If in person it looks like the photo, I think you could eventually get it in a straight grade holder, which would substantially increase the value. Here is my own example of a Caballito:
Yes, I may. Wow! That is a beautiful "full head" (or nearly) coin with PL traits. Love that one. I think these when well struck and above 63 are truly remarkable.
I just took some snaps of most of the cabalitto pesos that I have. All three are KM 453. This is a scarce variety of the 1911 pesos, with the short ray to the lower left. This coin has an average strike, and it has obviously been circulated and cleaned. 27.11 grams The second coin, also circulated and cleaned, is from 1912, a somewhat scarce date. Again, the strike is a bit soft. 26.99 grams Finally, here's the 1914 peso, another circulated (EF?) coin, cleaned and now retoning. 27.02 grams
Thanks! I bought it from Allen Schein directly and had to twist his arm for it. It's fully PL both sides but was submitted before PCGS started designating PL to coins other than morgans.
The services aren't perfect, that's for sure. I bought a nice yen in a PCGS cleaned slab once. I did NOT see it (had some die polish like a lot of the earlier Meiji coins, but that doesn't rise to the level of being mistaken for cleaning). I liked it, figured I'd crack it for my Dansco. Well, cracked I STILL didn't see it. Neither did NGC who straight graded it . Your photo looks pretty nice, though certainly photos can hide a lot. But if in hand it seems like that is not accurate, I would probably crack and try again if I really wanted it in plastic. And I like my nicer coins in plastic for the sake of my completely uninterested presumptive heirs.
Yes, I think I might but wonder if I should go the NGC route or not. Also, if it ever comes to sell (and I am NOT looking to) a slabbed unc. of the OP coin brings fair money.