This is not my coin, and I already have an expert opinion on the grade, but I wanted to put this out there to the CT community. Since it is raw, there is no prize for whoever guesses correctly, but I am curious to see how y'all grade her. So... a) grade, b) why, c) anything else you care to add. Thanks.
Odd one, this. It presents with a weak strike but a weird combination of weak strike and what appears to be visible wear in places one wouldn't expect a weak strike. So, from just these images (meaning you take it with a grain of salt which wouldn't fit into a wheelbarrow), I'm calling it AU55. And the surfaces seem off to me. Another set of differently-lit images might change my mind completely, because the top of the reverse looks as-struck and half of me wants to believe it Uncirculated.
Very nice Flying Eagle. I would love it as well. I am probably wrong, I usually am. From the picture it looks like it was cleaned a long time ago. Weak strike to begin with. Also slight rubs on the high points, around the eye tips of the feathers, on reverse on high points as well. AU 58, MS 60 on a good day.
It looks indeed like an AU/UNC cleaned coin, but as previous posters pointed out, different pictures could change everything. I still like the coin, as it doesn't seem to have any hairlines and personally, I don't mind the color being slightly off... anything else I'd like to add? Well, here's mine with a very original color - if I am not mistaken... I am not really a "Cents guy"
The best example of wear vs. strike, for me, is the flowers (buds?) adjacent to the lower leaves, at 5:00 and 7:00. Those aren't high points on the strike, yet their detail is lacking, especially when compared to the interiors of the adjacent leaves (which wouldn't be subject to early wear). That said, from just these images I probably wouldn't argue an adjudication of "Uncirculated." As regards color, I've no background visible with which to evaluate the accuracy of the color correction in the images. Therefore, I'm forced to consider it accurate, and some of my points hold either way, anyways. First, the combination of those two distinct hues - reddish and yellow-orange - seems unnatural on the same coin, in that pattern. Then we factor the splotches of darker brown, obviously not patina, especially since they seem confined mostly to the yellow-orange areas. It adds up, to me, to be most likely a coin recovering from a cleaning. But above all, don't forget my tendency to overthink things.
It almost looks fake. Color and detailing are very odd. I'd stay away from it if I were you. If real, it has been seriously messed with.
