Hey guys ! Just got this little beauty in the mail from a dedicated EACer. Awesome guys. Anyway, I just thought I would throw this up there for your late night viewing pleasure. Your comments, grade opinions, attribution, and die state analysis are more than welcome as always. ! salud ! Ricky B
Off the top of my head, I would say VF-20. I'm on travel and don't have any reference material handy.
My first reaction was VF-30 with a weak obverse. After looking at some Heritage coins, I still say VF-30.
My opinion is F15 to VF20, and very pretty, with what appear to be smooth surfaces and nice colour from the pictures.
Nice coin VF-20. And I think it is a small date S-290 at least it looks like the highest leaf on the reverse is even with the right side of the S and the second 1 in 1812 just does not seem to lean to the left enough. At least that is what I think my tired eyes are seeing.
very nice looking example of the always scarce classic head. I'm no copperologist, but I think VF also.
I agree with Mark's attribution: that is an S-290. Everything matches with the picture and description in the Breen book. Took another close look at the surfaces and boy, they are quite nice - not always the case (actually the exception) with classic head LCs. Grade-wise I still think F15 Obverse, VF 20 reverse.
I'm quite confident in the S-290 attribution. The leaf under D on the reverse is the easiest place to look for the distinction between the S-290 and the S-291 once you've figured out it's a small date (just right of upright on the S-290 and under the curve on the S-291). Look at the leaf under the final A of America if you can't determine whether it's a large date or small date and need to distinguish between reverses A and C (both are just right of the upright of D but the S-288 has a leaf under the left upright of the A while the S-290's leaf is under the center of the final A). As far as grading goes, I would call it a nice F-12, but many old time EACers would call it VG since they are notoriously hard graders. VF-20 is what I would expect to see as the minimum grade at a shop and I wouldn't be surprised to see it marked XF which is really over the top for a coin with so little hair detail..
