My friend Chris takes down early houses here in New England as do I occasionally though I usually stick to restoration and re installing interior woodwork. As I know a few years ago he found an oak tree shilling in a house (which I'm still trying to buy) the coin not the house he still has both. I asked him if he has any other coins had found. He brings down a coffe can with a couple dozen coins in it. Yeah I know he's not a coin collector!! In the mix of assorted early coppers many British is 2 spiked chin 1804 half cents and a really nice 1827 large cent. I tried to buy them a month or so ago and today he calls and needs money so he sells me 3 coins as well as an 18th c fireplace surround I wanted to buy.
Here's the 1804 spiked chin has dark crud on the obverse yet I can't see that it's pitted. found in a 1778 house in Dover nh I bought much of the interior trim from. I'd say xf details
Here's the 1827 there's a couple spots of crud that if they could be removed it'd probably grade I'm guessing au -58 brown traces of red still there found in house in white rock (a part of gorham Maine)
Here's the third a 1787 conneticut copper from behind a staircase in a house in Portsmouth nh I'd say vg details due to scratches
My other question is I've heard of that stuff verdicare has anyone used it and would it help these especially the first 2 and does it affect them grading if sent in I'd probably send in the 1827 anyway especially if I could do something about those couple dark spots
Nice pickups Mainebill. I had a nice collection of Half Cents at one time but never a spiked chin. It was on my want list but it just never happened. Congrats! Bruce
WOW! Those are some nice finds! :O I hope you didn't pull a John Ford on the guy you bought them from.
He actually had 2 I bought the nicer of them especially as the other had more sentimental value to him as he'd had it since being a teenager I'd say that was vf and a little crustier
If you are really considering doing something to these yourself, I emplore you to entrust the 1827 to either NGC or PCGS for conservation and subsequent grading instead. I think you'll be happier with the results. I think the spiked chin has less to lose if you do the work yourself. - Mike
Not at all a bad idea really about all I've done as far as coins go is soaking them in acetone I generally tend to leave stuff alone
John Ford's collection was the most valuable in history (It sold for over 60 MILLION dollars over the course of several sales.). The main reason it was so big was that he bought several collections from widows for far less tahn they were worth.
Oh ok. Wasn't a name I recognized. Actually I paid real decent money for them probably more then enough but then I wanted him to sell and also am still trying to get that oak tree and when I'm done with the fireplace surround I'll make more then enough on it to pay for the coins and turn a profit so a good day in all