Hey all, Got my first BU Walking Half in the mail today. It's a common date 1942-P but for $18 shipped (http://www.ebay.com/itm/261072880252?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649) I couldn't pass it up! The seller had some not-so-great pics but I did my best to try and figure out based on the details what kind of grade it might be. I couldn't see the luster from the pics but it seemed like the detail was there so I took a shot. Seems like I got a pretty good deal on this one as it looks very nice in hand. Never had a BU WL Half so I don't really have anything to compare it to grade wise (other than other graded examples and PCGS photograde). To me it seems like a MS64 or better but I don't know for sure. Any thoughts? Same coin with different lighting to try and show off the great luster. There is some brown spotting on the obverse that looks almost like dirt. Should I try an acetone dip to get it off? Thanks!
That hazy film is persistent and acetone will not remove it. I'm having trouble interpreting your images, but the coin almost appears to be a super slider.
How sad your coin has had some on hand touching. Unlike those sought by some on cointalk that has had nothing more than the soft glove treatment. Wonder how many more older coins are there left to buy and get those high grades. I think in the near future the gradeing companys will be begging you to send them anything as there cant be that many more coins out there that have the age as that one that has not had real human contact. I think these coins keep coming back is because those who spend thousands in collecting hand down that high dollar collection to a son or grandson that could give a rip about it and sells it off for a good amount of money not knowing or careing about its value . There is proof of this posted by a few members here on coin talk that got a collection handed down to them. They are asking the worth of it and most have stated it will be for sell soon. One day a few here will be showing off coins that a member here left to someone and how great a deal he got it for. It happens just deal with it. Unless you spent the time and the money in the coins they dont mean to them what they have to you.
I'm having a hard time capturing exactly what it looks like in hand. The finish is definitely satin and not whizzed, cleaned or polished. Details are there, with some bag marks, etc... That "scratch" in the field on the right isn't much larger than a hairline and just caught the light in the picture (since I was trying to focus on capturing the detail). Besides the unattractive "film" on the obverse, there is very little hairlines / bag marks. The reverse is almost flawless. Without a loupe (or macro picture), it is very hard to see more than a couple of tiny bag marks on the obverse. Not trying to say you guys are wrong, but I don't think I've been able to capture the coin the way it looks in hand is all. And I'm very happy that I got it for $18.
That film is likely the coin's undoing though. It might even cause the coin to be considered ungradeable because of altered surfaces or environmental contamination. That's one of the things you want to watch out for and try to avoid when considering coins.
