Grade the draped bust half cent!

This was a recent purchase that I made for two reasons. It is in a problem free ANACS slab:

a) i need one for my type set
b) it is my opinion that this coins in undergraded as far as remaining details go.

Now the coin has some strike issues for sure, and possibly some minor surface issues. What would you grade? What did ANACS give it?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I am by far no expert on early coinage of the US Mint, but this coin has to be XF or better, my guess is high end AU. A lot of these coins have poor strike from being made on a screw press. Incomplete details are very common even on uncirculated coins. I don't see any traces of wear on Liberty's cheek, but it may have retoned over time. hard to tell from pics.

I LOVE this coin! Nice find!

 

Thanks Mike. I was thinking along those same lines as far as the grade is concerned. However, neither of us are even remotely close to what anacs gave it.:bigeyes:

 

I would have also guessed XF or better.

 

I would have said VF-30 and something is up with the color. In this case it looks look a completely uneven strike, but just enough wear on the reverse to warrant something lower. I really cannot be positive about the color, but I am surprised to see it in a problem free slab. Then again sometimes it is just hard to tell from pictures.

 

I would grade it AU but what ANACS gave it, probably XF. I assume its in an old ANACS holder.

Edit:WOW! I see now. Thanks for telling me, Mark. I kinda skipped over that post. I thought XF would have been harsh.. I have no clue as to what ANACS could have gave it.

 

If you read the post, three above yours, it sounds as if ANACS graded it lower than XF.

 

Thanks for the comments everyone. Here is the listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...em=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT&salenotsupported

I was wondering if the upclose images were of a different coin, but if you adjust the exposure on the pic of the coin in the slab, it is obviously the same one as in the closeups. VF-20?? The only thing I can come up with is that they factored the weak strike heavily into the grading. Or they were just having a really bad day. :bigeyes:
I will post additional pictures once I receive the coin and can examine it more closely.

 

...or more likely the dies have been lapped / reground. The first things to go are the shallowest features - letters, stems, berries, the ends of curls, etc.

I'll take a closer look tonight. Without looking at the listing, I would call this one EAC 20. Nice addition ! I love these. :thumb:

 

I think that this coin is worth VF-20 money all day long and twice on Sunday!!

 

I am sorry - I did not like the coin. I tried to keep that out of my grading. What is really interesting is that there is a good strike in someplaces, week strike in others. I am surprised it is VF20 - but the color in the photos just seems off. This is a tough coin to grade.

 

I said VF35...
Then looked, and was shocked to see VF20!
That is a nice coin, and I like it!
I say you got a good coin, and nice price, WAY TO GO

 

Wow! It looks like opinions on this one are all over the board. Regardless of the final consensus, I will mostly be sizing this coin up to see if it will fit in my type collection(XF or better). If inadequate, then I may send it out for a second TPG opinion before I sell it. I paid about $160 for it, so I don't think I'll lose much.

I think the details are adequate for my set, but if the color is too funky in hand, it's going to bother me. For some reason I remember hearing that copper often forms an "olive" patina over the years, and I thought this look would fit into that category, as it definitely has splashes of various shades of olive. If cleaned or recolored, I'd think it would be either a solid shade of chocolate brown, or have a more pink/hairlined hue. However, I am not an expert in early copper and I have overall put the least amount of money/effort into the copper portion of my type set...so feel free to enlighten me with your inputs! Just going by details though comparing this coin with several dozen Heritage dbhc's I've looked at(I always spend hours viewing past Heritage auctions before purchasing), I think it has XF potential.

thanks,
John

 

Not knowing this series my first guess was F15 and I later changed it to high VF and then read it got VF20 by ANACS.

I'd be interested in what happens if you send it to PCGS or NGC.

 

1807 Cohen-1 Breen-1 (only die marriage of the year). Low R.2, maybe R.1. Late die state IV.

Here's what Breen says about Die State IV :

"Probably from repeated die regrinding, tops of letters and base of date weaken and blur out; rim crumbling from LI develops, eventually extending down to about 8:00 o'clock. On many of the usual weak strikes this crumbling is hard to see. The latest state noticed is the Cleneay-Mills-Mougey-Newman example."

I believe the weak letters are due more to die lapping / regrinding than strike, though both are in play.

VF30 sharpness, recolored, a few bumps, net EAC20. You got a good coin at a good price; $158 is well within range. :thumb:

 

It's hard for me to tell by the pics of the obverse, but to me,the detail on the leaves of the reverse look to good to be vf. The veins and edges look pretty sharp.

 

1807 C1, MDS 3.0. Details of VF-30, cleaned & recolored, net F-15.

A flat strike is mostly normal on 1807, even moreso one from the latest die state, such as yours. You did okay, but not great. If you're looking for something for a type set in half cents, let me know next time. I have a few things and know some guys who also have things.

 

I'd say XF , But due to the weak strike I'd say ANACS gave it a VF-25 , nice natural coin IMO .
rzage

 

Fish what's the giveaway on the cleaned and recolored , I'd like to learn more of these early coppers .
rzage