1899 coin help please

Hard to get my camera to focus but heres the edge

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Thumbs up, Ronnie! (We used to have said smiley, but lost it when the forum upgraded software or whatever).

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to address this.

 

Doink, forgot about the edge lettering. Thank you for following up with the photo.
So cool how edge lettering survives - I have a 1794 1C in about P0.5, but the edge is quite legible. No reason for edges to wear as quickly as the faces, but it is still surprising somehow.

 

Well this coin was most likely worn as a necklace because of the hole that was filled in. Which explains that there's more wear on the back than the front and the edges being in good shape. I'm guessing at least. Yeah it is neat the edges don't have a lot of wear

 

I am rather anxious to know what the OP’s final disposition is on this wonderful find. Are you keeping this piece of American and family history in the family?

 

I'm kind of at odds at what to do with it. I guess the smart thing would be to get it graded? I've got an offer for $350 but I think maybe it's smarter to get it graded then decide if I want to keep it or sell it when I can determine it's value better. I'm really a coin newbie.

 

At this point authentication is what will matter. Do consider cheaper alternatives to the big boys, but if you do sell just be sure you won't regret it down the road for the reasons stated earlier.

 

ANACS is an affordable way to go, and they are tops for authentication. That's where I'd send it.

 

I love the way @BooksB4Coins framed this. The need for spendable cash is certainly understandable. Little else matters when you are hungry. Just know that cash is fleeting. Family heirlooms as special as that fill a heart for a lifetime. And I believe you stumbled upon a wonderful piece there. Enjoy it.

 

Thanks, Randy.

My experience in this hobby is somewhat outside what's normal, and could perhaps best be described as on the outside looking in. Over the years, one thing I've witnessed again and again was someone expressing regret either over selling coins that had once belonged to a family member, or a similar regret over not buying them from a brother/sister/whatever who inherited them. I suspect this is much more common than many realize.

It's just very wise to remember that once gone, the chances of ever being able to buy such coins back is exceedingly remote, so one needs to be very, very sure they're making the right long run move. It's also a good idea to first think about our children or grandchildren who very well may not have existed during the departed's lifetime, and to understand that a tangible connection to this person may someday be priceless to them. My great great grandfather and grandmother (with whom my daughter shares a name) were married just two weeks before he was on the field at Gettysburg, and I cannot tell you how much it would mean to me to have something I know that belonged to him and was personally cherished. Although it can be difficult to picture it, the same may be said about something that belongs to us for those not yet born. Just something to think about...

 

This post should be highlighted for everyone to read when they stumble open an inherited piece..... in my younger years I thought I would make a living as a rock star. Yeah, it was fun. Didn’t pay the bills though..... My daughter who is forty now has a very clear childhood memory of me on TV with a particular guitar. It’s a classic piece now and people have tried and tried to woo me out of it for as much as $2500.00.... No way. That guitar is written in my will to my daughter. She still makes me show it to her each time she comes to visit.... Once those family connections are gone.... You are only left with memories.