1878S Trade Dollar

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by grading an inheritance, Aug 8, 2018.

  1. So it has taken me a lot longer than expected to get some good photos of my grandpa's collection. I have the afternoon off and finally got a decent number of good pictures of some of the coins so I'll be posting them and hopefully getting some help to hone my grading abilities.

    This coin was incredibly difficult to get a decent picture of but here is the best I could do:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    It is the only trade dollar in the collection, so I am having an even harder time guessing an approximate grade than I am with some of the other coins as I do not have any comparisons in hand. I'm also worried that it might have been cleaned but since I do not have any others to compare it with, I am mostly basing that on the fact that its luster is VERY different from the Morgan dollars but that may just be inherent in the coins...

    What are people's thoughts?
     
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  3. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    Welcome to CT. Yes, it's been cleaned so only a details grade.
     
  4. Treashunt

    Treashunt The Other Frank

    agreed, cleaned
     
    Santinidollar likes this.
  5. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    First thing that came to my mind too.......
     
  6. bummer, but at least it means I'm learning something...
     
  7. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    It's still worth hanging on to. :)
     
    Nathan401 likes this.
  8. Nathan401

    Nathan401 Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

    Cleaned, but still a cool thing to inherit, in my opinion!
     
    green18 likes this.
  9. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    Cleaned but it was your grandfathers so hang on to that coin. It's meaning to you is worth far more than its value.
     
    green18 likes this.
  10. Randy Abercrombie

    Randy Abercrombie Supporter! Supporter

    All are correct. Keep in mind that previous generations of coin crazed folks didn’t necessarily view cleaning the same as the current generation of numismatists do. And cleaned coins can “heal” over a period of time. Regardless, it belonged to your grandpa and in my view that makes it priceless.
     
    green18 likes this.
  11. Michael K

    Michael K Well-Known Member

    It seems real so that's a good thing with Trades. But def. cleaned. You can see the cleaning scratches, and notice the clean areas and the dark areas around the letters stars and numbers.
     
  12. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    Yes, it has definitely been cleaned.

    The good news, however, is that the coin appears to be genuine. Trade dollars are highly counterfeited, but I don't see anything that worries me here.

    As for the grade, compare yours to the pictures here: https://www.pcgs.com/photograde/#/Trade/Grades

    I think yours has the details of a mid-grade VF, and is probably worth $125, even having been cleaned.
     
  13. ksparrow

    ksparrow Coin Hoarder Supporter

    cleaned, looks genuine, I think about 35 t o40 on the details.
     
  14. SilverDollar2017

    SilverDollar2017 Morgan dollars

    Looks cleaned, but authentic.
     
  15. Dave Waterstraat

    Dave Waterstraat Well-Known Member

    EF details. Put it away and let it recover.
     
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