pre licoln small cent

well i dug these outta my dads coins and i thought they were cool not to mention old, well to me but there in great shape i think. post yours, id like to see more.(my camerea phone doesnt do the 1903 justice..)

 

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that first one's been polished.
the '97 may have been too.

the '98 looks good though

 

The '03 is definitely polished. The '97 maybe. (GMTA, Mag.) The '98 appears to be well worn. Cool, old coins though.

 

Ditto.

 

if they were polished it was befor they got in our possesion.

 

unfortunately it completely ruins any numismatic value

 

hmmm bummer...my dad said hes had it four 6 or 7 years in this condition never out of the shell. but he made it clear to me he never polished the coin and it wasnt supposed to have been when he purchased it.

 

actually im told theres a COA for the 1903...locating will post a pic....belive its a franklin mint.

 

I bought a set of coins from the Franklin Mint back in the mid-seventies; every coin was polished.

 

The Franklin Mint is pretty much a joke to us REAL coin collectors. I see people bring in their stuff to our local shop all the time, if it's not silver or gold, he's not even slightly interested. If it is precious metal, he pays just below melt.

 

unfortuantly im not im more into gems...my dad on the other hand is...i couldnt tell you. i like his hobby and i took interest in it. but your scrutiny is overwhelming. im not sure i would want to be apart of a "community" where you can talk to an unkowing so rudly.

 

LEJ, it was a scrutiny of the Franklin Mint, they're well known to sell this kind of stuff.

 

Don't interpret this as being rude... what BadThad means is that the Franklin Mint, HSN, etc, target an audience of non-collectors with their sales pitch. I was thinking about getting back into collecting during the 70's when I saw an ad in a national magazine for a type set of 20th Century coins. The pictures looked great, and I think the price was around $199.99 (four or five easy payments). Of course there was no internet or CT back then to ask if this was a good deal. One thing for sure, those old coins sure did shine! Well worn, but polished enough to make any drill instructor proud. I sold the whole collection, case and all, at a yard sale (about 15 years ago) for fifty bucks (and happy to get it).

 

I have no doubt your coin is genuine. The COA is a Certificate of Authenticity and merely states the coin is authentic (i.e., genuine). Unfortunately your genuine coin has been polished.

 

Welcome to the hobby and you gotta love the baby coppers - especially the IHC(Indian Head Cents)! And now lets show you a few of mine Run number 1 and Run Number 2. I hope the links work. I really hope I can get you hooked on collecting IHC's. Also look for threads started by the penny lady. She has some that just put mine to shame. I have three sets of these puppies going - high grade, Dansco album and a whitman folder(low grade). So the links are to the high grade coins.

Now to see what polish and cleaning can do to a coin:


Compare the 1888 above with the coins in the two links. This is a perfect example of why you want to stay away off-brand TPG's(stick with PCGS, NGC and maybe ANACs). This came from an ACG slab - I had it for a year before it changed in the holder. Here a dealer I use on occasion with some natural low grade IHC - Harlan J Berk. I think if you compare your coin to some of his pictures you will see the difference.

Please do think we are attacking you - there are so many companies that mis-lead consumers that it can be frustrating for us. And don't even think about buying a SGS coin - period - well until you learn more. My hope is that we can help you enjoy this hobby and make it fun for you no matter what grade of coin you start with. Also check out www.indiancent.com - there is a grading document that I like on that site. Plus check out the varieties that are available.

 

well i may have took it to an extreme. what is an sgs coin?

 

the coins were really nice by the way mark thanks for the info and patience.

 

FYI and WELCOME

First - Welcome to the FORUM!!!!!!!!!
Second - Please take what you hear from others and learn it is a step in a direction to better yourself in the coin community... And remember it is your collection...do what makes you happy....just research what you want and learn cost and values.....I think it's great you got your fathers coins...that kool...I got some from my father and grandfather (pop-pop), and it was fun..it got me on my way.....my sons are not really interested at all one is twenty and the other fifteen...I hoped my boys would get into it...any how....have fun and don't let others get to you...this site is very informative and fun....help is always around the coner...good luck in you future treasure....
Neal

 

thanks neil..are those all 2009 pennies in the avatar pic?

 

I think Mark meant to say, "Please do NOT think we are attacking you . . . " :goofer:

Star Grading Service. He never met a coin he didn't like. In fact, most coins he sees he gives a grade of MS-70. Many coins in SGS MS-70 holders would be graded MS-64 or less by the top 3 TPGs. Many coins in SGS MS-65 holders are circulated.

In other words, SGS coins are almost always grossly overgraded. Unscrupulous sellers sell overgraded coins in SGS slabs at inflated prices (inflated for the grade the coin should have) to take advantage of unknowledgeable collectors who base their purchase price on the grade on the label rather than the coin itself. What seemed like a bargain usually turns out to be a big mistake.