I'm hoping someone can help me appraise this large cent. I bought it approximately 10 years ago as a child for $40.00. Admittedly I did not know much about collecting back then, and I do not know much about it now either. I would really appreciate some help. Thanks in advance!!!
well is is an 1848 large cent i would say it is a Vf-30 but the color is bothering me either it was cleaned or it is just the lighting as for value wise if it isnt cleaned i would say you might get between 25-30 dollars so you really got taken when you bought it ! if i were you i would keep it for the future you never know what it will be worth!
Yea, the cleaning hurts the value, plus it isn't in that great of shape. You'd be lucky getting 25 today, but I think one might find a similar cent (cleaned, of that grade) at a coin show for 15. whoever sold it to you definitely tried to hose you on it, which is sad, because you were a kid. they at least got double or triple what it was worth. if it was a coin dealer they should be ashamed.
Recently sold on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/sch/Coins-US-/2..._samihi=&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=50&LH_Complete=1
I'm not so sure about the cleaning . . . in this case I suspect the background is white, exhibiting a pinkish cast from the lighting. This is the opposite of a Lincoln Cent I commented on perhaps 6 weeks ago, which I thought had been cleaned because the color looked offish to me, despite the background looking natural.
coin looks vf to me. might or might not been cleaned. retail might be 35 or so if coin in hand looks more original than photos