I have found several references to this coin online but this particular coin seems to be different. It is hard to see in the photos below, but if you look closely you should be able to see that it has some kind of acrylic or plastic coating all around it. None of the examples I have found online seem to have this. In hand, I can see that the surface under this "coating" is pristine. Absolutely perfect condition! Does anyone have any information about this? Thanks
I decided to add this Hi Res closeup photo of the date to help you guys to see the coating a little better...
Your coin has been pretty heavily circulated. That being said, if you think it your coin is covered in some sort of coating, which I doubt, you can try to dip it in acetone for a bit. That should remove whatever is on your coin, if there is something on it.
As the others have said, your coin has been heavily circulated. Large Bronze coins such as these normally develop this type of patina after prolonged circulation.
Maybe this will help. In this photo you can see cracks in the, whatever it is covering this coin... And in this picture you can see the only spot on the entire coin where you can actually see the surface of the coin. I hope this helps you to see. The pictures are not showing what I see. If I can get this stuff off of the coin it would grade MS70, I'm sure of it. It's perfect underneath.
I'm sure you guys are right. I just wish you could hold this coin in your hands and look at it. It is so deceiving.
Unless your coin looks WAY better than this one (which, based on the color and extreme circulation wear it 100% does not), it isn't worth messing with. Cheers.
You may wish to compare your coin with this uncirculated specimen on eBay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1902-PCGS-...410495?hash=item5b827020ff:g:5VkAAOSw6ZZfvWZb
I do not wish to sound rude or anything. However, according to the American Numismatic Association Grading Standards, a coin with a grade of MS-70 is essentially the perfect coin. The coin has a very attractive sharp strike and original luster of the highest quality for the date and mint. No contact marks are visible under magnification. There are no noticeable hairlines, scuff marks, or defects. Eye appeal is attractive and outstanding. If copper, the coin is bright, with full original color and luster. Coins with a designation of MS-70 are rare even among proof coins and other products sold by the various mints worldwide for consumption by collectors.
There's the possibility that there might be traces of old lacquer on there. Old-school collectors sometimes lacquered their copper and bronze coins; I suppose in an attempt to keep them from "turning". I've seen many an old coin that was harshly cleaned to a bright, unnatural orange, and then lacquered to "lock in" that color! "Yikes" by today's standards, but times change. That being said, your coin might or might not have once been lacquered. I can't tell. In any event, acetone, as previously suggested, might remove the remaining traces if they bother you. That's actually not a high grade example at all. It is well circulated and actually on the lower end of the grade spectrum for these. And consequently, as it's a fairly common type, it has a fairly low monetary value. All that being said, there's nothing really wrong with that. It's an attractive and popular type, and a 120-year-old coin. Enjoy it.
PS- Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you're way off there. By 60 to 62 points! After 44 years of collecting and nearly 20 years on the PCGS forums, I can confidently attest that: One, an MS70 of that type almost certainly does not exist, and probably never did. Two, that example is more like VG8 to VG10, in my opinion. As such, it is worth slightly less than one dollar. (If you want to see an actual Mint State example of the type, there is a picture of one at the top of that linked page.) But again, despite the modest grade and value, it's still a neat old coin. I have found a good many of these in bulk lots over the decades, and I quite like them. They are handsome big bronzes, and even the lower grade pieces have some appeal.
