I picked this up yesterday, and I would like to have comments on it from the Jefferson Experts here. I will tell you all of the details, but 1st I want unbiased opinions. Please be brutal! Noodle
So hard to tell from the pics, but I'm gonna say PR 63/64, and depending on how the coin looks in hand, you might get a cameo designation too.
unfortunately Frank, not a find. Find of the year??? Maybe find of the century (if it was)!!! I bought it when it came across the counter of the coin shop I work part-time for. They were thinking about slabbing it, but were unsure if it would be worth the $$$ to do so. I has to be a 64 before the fees are outweighed by the value. I got the coin for a song, so if it isn't good enough to slab a 64, then it is well worth keeping anyway. I figured I'd have you all look (drool) and comment, and I am going to have a very good pair of eyes look at it next month at the Lemont Coin Show. From there I will determine if it is worth the try to have it slabbed, cuz the person I want to ask has a VERY good eye for these things.
If you want to get it slabbed I would send it first to NCS and see if that haze could be removed. Very NICE coin!! Speedy
Hopefully you know that if it is a Proof coin there is no way to provide a meaningful grade guess based on images. The grades of Proof coins are most often affected/determined by the extent of hairlines, which rarely show up well in images. I have seen PR62 coins that looked like PR67's in images because of the lighting/imaging and the hairlines or cleaning not showing.
point well taken, Mark. Something I didn't really think of. There really don't seem to be any hairlines to speak of on the coin. There is a ding in the middle of the steps, but not to the point where it is unattractive, I might still count all of the steps as complete or nearly so. I don't think it's PVC Grizz, but that was my first impression as well. There is a haze however, not a thick one like we see on Ikes and Anthonys, but it is also not the mirror proofs that I have come to know among modern sets. There does seem to be some frosting on the devices of the coin, but I don't think it would qualify as cameo. And as far as sending it to NCS to have the haze removed, I would only do that if the coin would have a potentially high enough grade (PF 66 or 67) before I would do that. It probably wouldn't be worth it otherwise. Not to mention as anti-altering (cleaning) as I am, I don't know if I would do that. It seems very trendy to do it right now, but I wonder what the long-term repercussions are on anything that I collect. I tend to look at myself as a steward rather than an owner, and I think it is my responsibility to preserve that which I collect so that future generations have as close to what I discovered as I can give to them.
more then likely PR 63 give or take a grade. Like others have said need to have coin in hand. A great find none the less wether you get it slabbed or not. Paid what???
I apologise for the lousy pictures, the ones I took were thru a flip, and they make the coin seem cloudier than in hand, but there is some haze. To those who asked, I got it for $25.
I know it is common....but that doesn't mean that it is good for the coin. I pass on all proof coins that have haze. It cuts down on eye appeal, and value in my book. In some cases it can be safely removed without damaging the coin...that is the only reason I would sugget it. Speedy
