It appears to have been cleaned from these pictures but has good eye appeal. I've looked up similar 1797 half cent coins to try and determine what the grade would be but have no clue. They seem to be all over the place. What do you think it grades-details more than likely.
I'd call it fine details. It clearly took a cleaning, but is still a very nicely detailed piece and sharply struck.
It has a lot of meat. I would say it's definitely cleaned. About the surfaces, it looks a bit porous which might mean it spent some time in the ground hence the cleaning.
Question here for you early American copper collectors - aren't things that would earn a details grade, like cleaning environmental damage, less important to EAC collectors? Or did I just make that up?
I don't know if it's "less important", but it might not factor into the deal as much, especially if it's a rare variety. Many times variety trumps all other aspects of the coin.
I would expect that, with so many coins of this type being value graded, and their various positive and negative attributes, it would be a difficult task to compare your coin against graded coins to arrive at a net grade. Far better, I think, to technically grade it Fine first (ANACS or PCGS standards), and then net it to VG, or VG+ for the cleaning afterward. In total, it's a pretty good looking coin, and might eventually take on a pleasing brown look again.
The C-2 is listed on PCGS coinfacts as an R7, with approx 200 known to exist. http://www.pcgscoinfacts.com/Coin/Detail/1036
That's R7 on the PCGS Rarity scale. On the Sheldon Rarity scale, which is what most people use, that would be an R-4-. Copper Quotes calls it an R-3. An R-7 would be 4 - 12 known. Big difference.
