Hi all! I just wanted to throw this one up to get everyone's take on it. I bought this a few years ago at the biggest garage sale in the world (ebay) and ever since I've been kind of wondering its story. I don't necessarily think it's counterfeit but I've not quite seen another coin like it. It had great luster in person, rings like silver, does not attract to magnets, and weighs correctly, but even with the cartwheel luster it looks a bit dull in the shine department. Possibly dipped? I don't really know. So I come to the great people of CoinTalk to...well....talk, about this coin and to ask your opinions on its story. I can try for better pics later if this isn't good enough (I've been meaning to re-shoot my type set anyway). I look forward to what everyone has to say!
It is looking quite cleaned to me. It has nice details on the obverse and reverse. The rims have taken a bit of a beating. I'd say cleaned, but still a nice coin, with XF details.
You must be talking about the reverse of the coin when referring to the rims. That's just uneven bits of paper hanging over the coin (the coin is in a DANSCO album). Thanks for the input Morgandude! I'm pretty much of the same opinion. Would dipping cause the cartwheel to still remain but take some of the other luster away? As an aside ignore the grade. My picture, not my attribution.
The coin looks overdipped to me. Otherwise it was a nice coin with plenty of detail. Gotta love those "With Arrows & Rays".
Yupp, it sure would. Sorry about the rim comment--it looked like damage. I think it is a nice, solid coin that has been dipped, but still has eye appeal.
Thanks Hobo and Morgan! It does look great in hand, and that's why I was so suspicious to begin with. Just knew something was a little off.
A little to long in the dip can and does hamper the luster of a coin. I think your close on the grade at 53/55 area. Compare with this un-dipped AU58.
Are you looking for the story why there are arrows at the date, and rays on the reverse? It was due to the CA gold rush. So much gold was produced that it unbalanced the ratio between silver and gold, so much so that US silver coins had more silver in them than face value. So, in 1853 they reduced the weight and made this special coin to show it. The next couple years they only had the arrows on the date. It happened again in I believe 1873 when the Comstock lode unbalanced it back, so they increased the weight to compensate, but that year just put arrows on the date.
Thanks MedoraMan, I did know the story of that type of coin but thanks for putting just the same in case anyone didn't happen to know. I was indeed a interested in my coin's specific story. Shame that it's been dipped but figured as much but at the price I paid, I still can't even complain just on details alone. And LindeDad, that is a beauty right there! Looks like both of our coins have the same, what looks to be die clash at 3:00 on the Eagle's shield on the reverse. That is what my coin could have grown up to be! haha. Thanks everyone!
goincarcrazy, that is a beautiful coin. It doesn't scream of extreme dipping to me, but either way, it has a nice look to it. The fields are pretty clean for an AU 55.
