I picked this up pretty cheap. I am mostly a silver guy but decided to start broadening my horizons. I am assuming the rounded off portions or the rim are PMD. Questions are: 1. What are your theories that caused this rounding of the rim? 2. How much does this kill the value of the coin. Thanks in advance!
My first thought was rim dings, copper is so soft that if a coin is dropped on its rim it can but a flat spot on the coin, but those look a little too large. As to value, yes it affects value a lot particularly when there are multiple large rim issues like on your coin. so I would gradde this one as 12 net 5. Looks like an N3 to me which is listed as scarce so I doubt it brings much of a premium but I will check my price guide later.
The Obverse is definitely the N-3, but the reverse had me scrambling. Now at first glance, it appears that the outer leaf under C(A) was ghost like as on the Reverse of 1822 N-7, but a closer look shows that there is damage on the coin there and the rest of the diagnostics are there for the Reverse of N-3 as well. I suspect the flattening of the edges (180 degrees) indicates it spent a short while in a vice. They were a must on a farm or light industrial site for 200 years.
I couldn't find much on the N-3. I found info on N-7 which correct me if I'm wrong but isn't that a proof variety? And also what did beef mean by grading this as a 12 net 5? Is he saying without damage it would grade F12 but with damage G5?
Older us coinage we base the grade on details, surface quality and any damage. So he's saying it has fine details and the surface isn't porous but its damaged so that knocks down the grade to the g4 as a net grade
I would say you did great as long as you enjoy it. I don't think you could buy a quarter tank of gas for 10 bux lol Cody
It has some rim bruising and corrosion (red), but it also is almost 200 years old and has a great deal of character, if you ask me. For $10, you did fine. Enjoy the coin.
I think I would faint if that happened! Thank you. I am happy with it. Having it in hand has kind of kick started me to looking at more large cents.
The 1818 N-3 Obverse 2 is rather easy to identify due to the positioning of the first star being substantially closer to the tip of the bust and the top right tip of that star pointing below the top of the first 1. Obverse 2 was only used on the 1818 N-3. The 1818 Reverse C is the Reverse pairing on the 1818 N-3. The leaf I am referencing is the outer leaf below C(A). It is usually bold and close to the center of the bottom of the C. On your coin, it appears to have been damaged or otherwise made less prominent. Because of this, It initially reminds me of the 1822 N-7 (Reverse G) which is called the Ghost leaf below C. But further examination shows it is definitely not 1822 Reverse G which uses Century Lettering while 1818 Reverse C uses Square Serif Lettering. This, along with leaf-letter matching and letter-dentil matching makes the identification solid. The general reasons for discrepancies like this is usually post mint damage, but there are also a few thing at the mint which can cause this leaf to lose prominence such as grease, thin planchets, light strike, etc. It is interesting to note that the outer leaf under E(R) is also weak as on the Ghost leaf, but it must be coincidental. This makes me favor the weak strike theory over post mint damage theory.
That is correct, I think it has sharpness of 12 but due to corrosion and damage it nets down to a 5. Many large cent collectors really focus on nice surface condition over sharpness, but for $10 not bad at all.
