What's wrong with this half dime?

Just received this half dime from ICG. Why do you think it came back body bagged?

I don't want to make this mistake again .

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Rim damage on the reverse?

 

Yeah, but I thought it would have come back with a "details" grade for rim damage. The damage is very odd.

 

Definitely rim damage, but its been in a fire. That's what Im seeing from that image..

 

Why not call ICG and ask OR did you already do that and want us to guess the reason it was not graded?

 

I have not contacted ICG. Wouldn't they be more descriptive with their response if they knew? I imagine it just looks wrong to them, but are not sure why. Perhaps I assume too much, but hoped to access some opinions better than my own.

To me, it looks like it could be foundry made given the very weak details.

 

Interesting. What suggests fire damage? I noticed the denticles fade out by Liberty's shield.

 

A no decision on a coin from a TPGS can mean several things. The usual reason is the TPGS cannot be 100% sure the coin is either genuine or counterfeit. Sometimes the authenticators just disagree. Other times no one is 100% certain. Another reason is that the TPGS does not wish to risk being wrong on a very valuable coin and pay ip to honor their guarantee for a stinking $35 fee.

One thing is for sure. The counterfeits are getting so good that once a coin becomes abused as this there is often no way to tell. The cuts on the rim are a good sign for an opinion of genuine. Send the coin to a different TPGS and see what they say.

 

1853 half dimes are known to have issues with the denticles as 1858 also has issues.

 

The fields look pretty grainy.
What is the difference on the checklist between "questionable authenticity" and "no decision"?

 

They can't decide if it is NG or just ugly

 

Q/A = counterfeit or altered.

ND = ?

 

No decision?

 

So here's my layman's definition.

"Questionable Authenticity" = Very good chance it's fake or modified.

"No decision" = Maybe it's legit, but can't tell with high enough probability to risk a guarantee on it.

 

The #8 stain is located appropriately, at least. I hope and pray it was not being examined during a "relief" period.

 

NO! Q/A = BAD to the best of our knowledge. Backed up w/guarantee and enough proof to stand up in a court of law!

 

The reverse appears to have a layer of "stuff" on it obscuring the surfaces. I'd say the coin is genuine but since the surfaces or obscured they gave it a no decision. Frankly with the crud and the reverse damage, this coin was not worth enough to send it to a TPG.

 

First glance had my gut saying it wasn't real, but I know very little about the half cent, so it was JUST a gut feeling.

 

No Decision means they couldn't get graders to agree for it to be encapsulated and guaranteed. Could be they just don't want it in their slabs and guaranteeing it the way it looks, could be the rim damage, the odd looking fields on obverse, and reverse between "half dime", the denticles, the arrows, and level of toning all being the reason for them not to want to slab it and guarantee it. Just can't clearly call it authentic, or rule out tampering.

Could be for one or more reasons, and they aren't likely to tell you exactly why they decided the way they did, just that they won't grade it and encapsulate it. they saw enough wrong with it to not pick just one thing and just overall say "no, no, no, this ones getting body bagged and sent back" for whatever their reason.

I'm not a coin grader, to know for certain why, but I wouldn't have sent in a coin like that for encapsulation just too many things wrong with it, especially those PMD notches around the rim.

 

Thanks for clarifying!