It is a huge scratch, not a die crack. Die cracks show as ridges ABOVE the surface of the coin. This mark goes INTO the surface of the coin....
I ran into this thread during a Google search for an article that I am writing bout the Norman kings. Yes, William II, Henry I and Stephen are all...
It looks to be genuine, but cleaned. You can't know for sure because the color is a bit "funky." Someone needs to look at in person.
The mintage for the 1853 Arrows and Rays Half Dollar was a little over 3.5 million at the Philadelphia Mint and a bit over 1.3 at New Orleans....
Yes, EF is the jumping off point for price. That's why I bought the cleaned example I posted earlier. My grade at the time was EF-40, but I missed...
Here is my type set coin, which is in an NGC MS-64 holder. And yes, the rays on the reverse are quite impressive. The trouble is they made it...
Yes, that is a problem coin @Randy Abercrombie. It's been polished to within an inch of it's life. Here's an example of the same coin which I...
When I was in the business, dealers called those “plutonium slabs.” (Plutonium is one of the deadliest substances known to man.) You only opened...
I would rather see most items in private collections than in museums. Museums often end up storing more stuff, that no one ever gets to see, than...
Before you go off the deep end talking about cleaned and other problems, you should realize that late die states can result in coins that look...
For better or worse, here are the two pieces in my type set. [ATTACH] [ATTACH]
This piece, which is a different date, is in an NGC MS-64, Brown holder. This date and die variety (Cohen 1) comes well struck on the obverse....
Slab grade MS-63, Brown. EAC grade MS-61. EAC is tough on these coins. I have one that might be little nicer that I bought out of an EAC...
You were not wrong. Sometimes there is the slab grade and the right grade. Too many collectors get this idea that the slab grade is always right...
Yes, slider, if the parts on the obverse that look grey in photo are grey in person. The TPG's do this all the time with coins that have a light...
It's not a full head. It's a "full face," but it's not a full head. I used to buy Standing Liberty coins like this all the time when I was a...
Proof-65 holder. I see small hairlines on Franklin's shoulder, cheek and forehead. There also might be scuffs on the bell which might be on the...
The "texture" might be die stress as @eddiespin posted, but it could also the result of someone dipping the coin in mild acid to make it look...
You can buy the coins that look like that; I am not going to do it. Some gold pieces develop a haze after a while that covers the whole coin. It...
The fields are bright from intentional rubbing while the protected areas around the letters and devices are duller and frosted. So far as what...
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