Fine _ Details Cleaned Improperly, scrubbed, polished Maybe even dipped ! Wear on Bust , Cheek, & Curls, Wear on Eagles wings & Arrowhead Tips.... But still a Neat CBH for 191 years OLD !
I simply can't say from these pictures. For example, the obvious contrast on the cheek and decollete actually argues AGAINST a harsh polishing to me. I'd say a severe dip is the MOST likely sin here. The lighting angle, and SOURCE, is too wrong to be able to call "polishing" with any confidence. Why is the light so blue? Is this being lit by the light of a computer monitor?
Okay, now I see clear evidence of a harsh cleaning at some point, but not the sort of polishing it was easy to infer before. The difference between the large plain areas of the fields and the lighter areas between the points of the stars points to a cleaning. I'd go maybe XF details, but this series is NOT my wheelhouse, so take this with a truckload of salt.
My best guess is : 1826 O-109 R1 Capped Bust Half Dollar Obverse: 6 Reverse: I Variety Attribution: Obverse-Stars are mostly sharp except 8 and 9 which are usually, if not always, flat. Star 1 is only 1/2 mm. from drapery. Date is 8 mm.with 82 very close at top, much closer than 18 or 26. Reverse- 50 C. is 2 mm. Arrow to A nearly touch. I is centered under left side of T. Center line of stripe 2 extends to crossbar 2 and third line of same stripe extends well below border of shield.
Now that is a very good question. I've seen coins like this one in numerically graded plastic. It's why I'm so hesitant. I recently bought a '31 and a '35 capped bust half and they share some attributes with yours. It told me I need to spend some more time examining this particular series.
Here are 32 NGC results on eBay https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_od...r+ngc.TRS1&_nkw=1826+half+dollar+ngc&_sacat=0
I can't imagine it getting a straight grade, the cleaning looks too harsh to be market acceptable. However, I have been surprised before at what ends up in slabs. Details wise it looks high VF and possibly XF.
