Hey gentlemen....for those interested, I finally received that 50 cent newfoundland 50 cent piece. Refer to the link below for reference. I was trying to decide if this coin could pass as AU. There weren't any good pictures on the ebay posting so I have taken a ton more to show. I am most worried about the jewels in the crown but other than that the coin is in damn nice shape I'd say. The black stuff (toning) isn't too nice but I guess it gives the coin some character, eh ;] Anyway, have a look and let me know what y'all think~~ In reference to... http://www.cointalk.com/threads/1917c-newfoundland-50-cent-coin-grading-help.239105/
Too much wear for that white of a coin...... I'm sorry to say it looks cleaned to my eyes as well. (To clarify: with so many details worn, you should see some grime and dirt caught in the devices) Not that it's so bad, it hurts the value and makes the coin less appealing, but I don't mind having a few cleaned examples in my collection. Shoot, I'd dip it again to remove that black unnatural looking tarnish!
The coin appears to have been weakly struck, which could explain why the coin looks good, but with lack of detail in the jewels. That said, the loss of lustre is detrimental to the grade. Without the coin in hand, my gut instinct tells me this coin is no higher than VF-30.
