http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCARCE-1877...11?pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item232c732073 Just picked up my first seated proof, looks much better in person has some blue toning in an old anacs holder. Got it for what I consider a steal as well. What do you guys think??
Toning has reached the terminal stage in my opinion and I would have waited for a better example. But it's definitely not a common coin.
The tonings a little dark in the pictures but it has more blue in it then shown I paid around pr60 for it because of such, with only 510 minted I figured I couldn't go wrong
Thanks guys! I've been collecting for a decent amount of time but I think I finally found my niche. I just purchased a proof v nickel and a proof mercury ill post pic of soon. It seems there relatively undervalued for the mintages in my opinion?
I feel rather free to write my opinions about the coin because you asked, so please do not take this personally. I don't like the coin or how I anticipate the coin will appear in-hand. These 19th century proof pieces often have their grades determined by the presence, placement and severity of hairlines and the PR62 level typically indicates a coin with fairly severe hairlines. It might be that ANACS was overly strict on grading this coin, but the look of the coin indicates to me that it has had a dip and that the secondary toning, and partial print on the reverse, are not completely hiding the hairlines. I am a Richard Cranium, but I tell the truth.
I agree with Tom as a rule of thumb, but in this instance I somewhat disagree. Sure early (and all) proofs are graded acording to hairlines, but a PR-62 dime is certainly not as ugly as a PR-62 half purely because of its size. Hairlines on such a small field just aren't in your face so much. I do have to agree that it looks like it took a bath in the past though, the reverse has all the signs of such. Still, a lovely coin for the price.
I honestly dont know enough about cleaning to be able to confirm that or not, the front does have hairlines but the back is almost immaculate. My pictures are from my phone so its nothing amazing. I bought it for 335 shipped so I would assume I didnt do terrible, I may resubmit it to either anacs or ngc. The higher grade proofs are nice but almost double too triple what I wanted to spend and the lower grade ones come on scarcely so i scooped him up.
Hairlines do not necessarily indicate a harsh cleaning, especially on Proofs. Because of their mirrored surfaces Proofs are very susceptible to hairlines from rough handling. But even then hairlines have a negative effect on the grade of a Proof, much more so than they would on a business strike. That's up to you of course but if I were you I'd save your money for there is a chance that if send it to NGC it may come back in a problem coin slab. As for ANACS, the coin is in an old ANACS slab now, one that garners a good deal more respect than the new ANACS. Yes and there's a reason for that. It's much like buying a problem coin as opposed to a problem free coin. The problem coin is much cheaper, because of the problems. With Proofs, the lower grades indicate that there is some sort of problem. Perhaps not enough of a problem to warrant a no grade, but a problem all the same. Now if the coin as is makes you happy that's fine, enjoy it. But don't fool yourself into thinking you've got something that you don't really have. Recognize it for what it is, a low grade Proof with potential issues - not a scarce coin at a bargain price. There are no bargains, or rarely so, in numismatics. You get what you pay for.
unless you join spocks bargain hunter class. we start at 101 and go all the way upto 701 till you become a doctor of finding bargains
To be totally honest, I would leave it right where it is. Do not automatically assume the coin is conservatively graded because it is in an older ANACS holder. It has been my experience that these late old-style holders are average at best, so until you have gained the knowledge to, with reasonable certainty, give the opinion that the coin will upgrade, the risk is not worth any potential reward.
