I wanted to post some specimens to teach others what to look for.. Im sure the senior collectors have seen this many times before, but for newbies a little help to what to look for....3 coins all nice as far as details go. Which of these have been messed with....cleaned.....or what ever you think was done to the specimen.
From what I can tell from the picture I’m going to guess the ‘38 at some point had been cleaned Mushy details....
Thank you as the condition of the 3 was 1 of the deciding factor, the die marriages, and the fact they be good specimens to explain what im trying to show here...I beieve some maybe surprised...1 person touched on one but didnt go into detail.
Normally if the hairlines that show over the devices as well as over the fields it is evidence of rubbing with something over 1 direction to attempt cleaning or polishing the surface, BUT, something tells me it isn't going to be an answer as simple as that.
Coin #1 1862 h10, purchased from Wild Bill at a Gettysburg show a few years back. This is not Bills doing as he had just obtained it from another dealer . Look close @expat As you nailed part of the story...yes cleaned, whizzed and tooled. If you look close on the new images youll see as Expat has mention in his post. The lines going over the devices... the dirt or toned areas where it almost impossible to get clean without damaging the coin. The reverse shows better in the corn and other devices on the wreath. Who ever did this IMHO isnt a collector , they were a coin doctor and a bad one at that.. however Bill and Mike Dixon are good friends. They always give me a good price on a coin im interested in..and Bill did just that as I told him..Just what was going on with this piece.
Details on the devices look too flat and mushy apart from near the edge to be just cleaned, Is it from an overpolished die?
Coin #2 has been cleaned also ,not a harsh cleaning but again the dirt and tone around the devices....this would of been an Au/ 60 slider. The toning from old albums ...the coin since is toning again,perhasp market acceptable...maybe not...but another early half dime with lots of meat left.
Coin #3 has been dipped no scrubing, but again a high Au. Plenty of details.and again retoning with age. Now the important question knowing this would you purchase any of the 3 ? Based on whay I've told you and what your eye tells you. Keep in mind most every piece of seated coinage has been wipped. I dont go after detail coins but .... to obtain the die marriages of the series you sometimes need to lower the bar a tad bit. Out of the 3 coin 1 has the most damage...do to being tooled and whizzed. It is an excellent example of what a doctored coin looks. Especially to a newbie untrained eye for details, and thinking wow it looks like it just came off the press. I see this alot as a lot of newbies mistaken the color or its brightness as a unc specimen. Its funny my eye always goes to darker skin coins before bright mirror like coins. I find them easier to read...and even if they have been wiped dont stand out like coin 1.
Feel free to ask me any time should you have a question, if I dont know the answer we will find the answer together. Glad you enjoyed this...post.