Hello all - looking at this coin for my 7070. It is getting out of my price range and I am really concerned that all the wear is on the left side? Is that normal and do you think it is real or a fake? If so, how would you grade it? I would go VG. Plain 4, stemless wreath. So that would put it already double of what I think I would pay for it. Am I off on the grade? http://cgi.ebay.com/1804-DRAPED-BUS...74?pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item255f6a7bc6 Thanks for the expert help.
I see nothing to indicate the coin is fake. I agree the surfaces have been altered. What you refer to as wear (on the left side of the coin) is a weak strike, very common during this era.
It is a Cohen-13 (rarity 1), the most common of all 1804 half cents accounting for 1/4th of all existing 1804 half cents. On the reverse, there should be a die crack from the fourth outside leaf of the left branch though the letter E in UNITED. I don't see that, so I am a bit suspicious. I also agree that it has been cleaned. If you are looking for a type half cent, I go to the Early American Copper website and click on links http://www.eacs.org/links.html to get a listing of half cent dealers who you can trust to supply you with coins that will stand the test of time.
The weakness on the left side is probably not due to assymetrical wear, but rather on uneven strike due to a maladjusted coining press or buckled dies. Typical on early coppers - usually not a sign of problem. One is well advised to get a book on these things. The Manley die state book would be very helpful here. I'm on vacation and nowhere near my references.
That is certainly XF to AU detail, even by old school standards. I don't know if we were looking at the same coin if you came up with a VG6. Now I don't see anything that would frighten me, but I never see cleaning, so take that for what it's worth. I think it closed about right on price. ($350-$650)
IMO spending that much money for an unslabbed coin like that is every bit as much gambling as throwing your money on a roulette. I view slabs as giving you a 'warm' feeling about: - authenticity (NGC and PCGS are very close to 100%) - cleaning (either uncleaned OR cleaned within currently acceptable levels) - grade (at or close to what most people accept)
I strongly suspect it is a fake but I can't put my finger on why. Everything lines up to be a C-13 but something just doesn't look right. The left side weakness is normal for this variety.
The extreme contrast between the fields and the design? That is what I don't like at first, though this can be a result of the photo. SOMETHING is going on, unless its a weird photo. I agree with Conder101. I will defer to the experts that maybe its just cleaned and retoned, but I would not have felt comfortable buying it unless I saw it in hand.
If this coin is a fake, it would certainly have fooled me. The odd background color and ever so slight off center strike could explain why it just looks off. For me, the surfaces look sharper than the coins I normally see from this era, so I would just assume it's because it's too high of a grade, and not have a clue about authenticity.
I would defer to you Marshall. I have some AU half and large cents, and have never seen such a specimen, but that does not mean they don't exist.
