Hey guys, I'm having some trouble putting a grade on this indian head cent. Initially I was thinking around MS-63 but it looks considerably worse once blown up in these pictures than in hand. The dark area at 2 o'clock on the obverse is barely noticeable in hand...same with the pitting on the reverse. What do you think?
au 55 looks to be a rub on the shield and ribbon on the reverse. rubs on the hair behind ribbon and chin, hair above ear and on ear
Yeah that's one of the reasons I'm posting it since I'm not quite sure. I don't think that there is really much rub if any...it has great luster that the pictures don't show. Either way AU/low MS is probably right.
The coin's, surfaces look as if it could be a proof coin. The rev surface could have been caused by the die, because of the high and low surfaces are affected equally. (think of the "CC" dies that rusted and pitted because of the acid that was around the dies) It's a nice coin over all. -0)
Hmm..I never thought about the possibility of it being a proof. I have heard they can discolor strangely. I purchased the coin off an older gentleman who said he's had it for 30-35 yrs. It was just marked "BU". That's a good thought on the origin of the surface flaws as well. Although I would think that it couldn't be both a proof and struck on a corroded die...but who knows!
Proof? I don't see anything about the coin that would point to Proof. The strike is good but far from producing the details of a Proof coin. The rim is not flat. I see no evidence of mirrors even in protected areas. I see definite wear on the feathertips. The coin has practically no luster. I would grade this coin AU-50.
From the pic you posted it looks to me like the color in unnatural and probably recolored. I would grade AU55-58 details.
This is the reason I don't like scans of coins. David Lawrence has a couple of items I'm interested in but until I can either see coin in hand or a good picture I pass even though they are pcgs/ngc graded
