Hello everyone, When I was younger and newer to collecting, I committed the ultimate coin collecting sin on my 1799 bust dollar. (please don't burn me at the stake!!) I got a great deal on the coin, in a PCGS slab, but it is a non gradable coin with some slight rim damage. I think the coin is easily Fine details. The first thing I did was break it out of the slab, I have a thing where I like to be able to hold what I collect in my hands A few days later is when I couldn't help myself and dipped the coin. I will admit that now I wish I never had done it, but at the same time, I believe the coin had already been cleaned/dipped and/or coin doctored, as I found a few hairlines that where perfectly concealed before the dip. Also the tarnish look of the coin had been just way too perfect, the tarnish was too even too perfect. Again, this was a non gradable coin, and it is very cool to be able to hold it in your hand, and show others, and tell them the history behind it. Anyway, since then, I have kept it in a air tight holder, it is a perfect silver white now, and although just as much detail is visible, its not as easily seen as when it was a little tarnished with darker tarnish in the depressions. My question is, since I cant go back and change the past, and it is a non gradable coin anyway, should I leave it out in the open air for a few months, or should I just keep it in a nice air tight holder to stop any further damage and preserve it for the future? I feel like even for a non gradable authentic bust dollar, the value will go up over time. even being non gradable, the value is only what someone will pay for it, and i feel like the pure white might hurt me there, which i why i have thought about tarnishing it, there are lots of ways to accelerate tarnish. On the other hand, why risk causing damage or risk it tarnishing unevenly, and even though its white, it still looks beautiful and I see other cleaned bust dollars going for over 1k. Heck I even see bust dollar with holes drilled in them go for 500 bucks I am not a seasoned coin collector, but IMO the bust dollar is one of the coolest coins ever. Any advice? If you all want, I can take some pics and post, I have before pics as well.
Holy smokes, you committed a few sins. You shall now be stoned to death and quartered. But really, if the coin was already ungradeable, all you did is make it uglier and potentially worth less than when you bought it. You can carry it around in your pocket for a few days to get the natural process going again, or you can live with the great atrocity that you have done. I would not try to add any of those darkening solutions to the coin, the old girl has gone through enough. But please learn from your mistakes. And next time, choose a common circulated Lincoln cent.
Thx, I think I will carefully carry it around and let it tone a little naturally, then put it away to hand off to the kids some day. I guess it could have been worse, I could have scrubbed it or something that damaged and scrapped away at the surface. Lesson learned on this coin.
Carefully to the point that you don't bang into anything, but handle it like any other piece of change. Allow fingerprints, sweat and grime on it. I know that it seems crazy, but I have done the same thing with a few bust halves that had been cleaned.
:welcome: heineken There are a lot of Bust Half collectors here Here are two of my favorites, because they are my Great Great Grandfaher's birth year :yes:
Could you show us before and after pictures heineken so we can see the difference? Welcome to C/T. Bruce
Was it already marked cleaned? I am surprised they would have said rim damage, unless it is worse in hand. I would just keep it in the airtite and let it retone naturally.
Thanks for the picture heineken. A nice old bust dollar. A lot of those were cleaned at one time and it used to be that the TPG's were a bit lienent on that "damage" but maybe not so much anymore. Good advice from Mark...let it retone natrally. Bruce
And here is after. I guess it has toned a little bit already on its own. Artificial light in bedroom no flash: Natural light outside no flash: One more pic:
i looked up the code, it was for damage, but maybe it was for damage and cleaning, not sure. the words on the rim are all good, except for one or 2 letters, but they are not worn off or anything, just dinged, or maybe bottom of letter worn off, but still easy to see everything and read the words. someone might have used a buffing wheel or something at one point, because after i dipped it, one spot looked more shinny under a loop. maybe a deep scratch someone buffed out. OR i spend too much time reading stuff on the internet haha. I am no expert, but as much as bust dollars go for, and everything i have read, i am sure that many have been doctored or attempted to hide flaws, etc. Here is the info on the exact strike. its a cool coin, i love the history and how the 8 was changed into a 9, and then the die cracking seen in the coin is cool as well. Not gradable, but I kind of like the fact it has a rough past, who knows how many people owned it at one point, or used it. Cool piece of history to hold in your hand.
Just for clarification, you are referring to the edge, not the rim. That is why it is called 'edge lettering' and not 'rim lettering'.
got ya, thanks! i liked it better before too, but i am hoping time and increase in value will eventually cancel out the cleaning. its not like i took a perfect coin and scrubbed it with steel wool, it could not be graded anyway, and in fairness, the before pics lighting didn't show off the coins flaws as well as the after pics. but still, should have never messed with it . maybe this thread will keep someone else from doing it. I will have to take some pics of my American dollar collection. some of the coins are not gradable just like the bust dollar, but they are all very cool and for my purposes its way cheaper to get damaged or cleaned coins that at least I know are authentic.
Would you all say my coin is fine details? i see them selling on ebay for over 1k cleaned or damaged looking less attractive then this one. what do you think this it is worth, around 1k-1,300?
