Can you help me on the grade and value? My estimate on the grade (as a coin newbie) is XF-40 or so. PCGS lists $95 for this coin at that grade. Is that about what I can expect? Thanks!!
i don't believe that would be graded XF. look at the site below, it has a picture chart for G, F, and XF. there is a lot of rub and etc.. i would guess VG and around $35. the reverse being a little bit better then the obverse. either way i got my ms-63 1911-S for $105 so i don't think XF would go for $95. http://www.coinstudy.com/lincoln-penny-value.html also, from what i see in the pictures, it looks like it has been cleaned before..
I would cal that VF maybe 25/30. I cannot tell for sure about the cleaning from that picture. Maybe this will help you on your grading; http://www.pcgs.com/Photograde/#/Lincoln/Grades
VF 20- VF30, cleaned a long time ago, both physically and chemically ( probably acid based,~ vinegar was popular for a long time). The grading examples can be seen on several sites. The physical cleaning was probably with a toothpick, thorn, brush, etc, as you can see the dark areas around the devices, where heavier deposits were before, and the inside of the letters are too clean compared the the outer. The color ( unless it is camera color balance) is abnormal for this age and grade of coin indicating that something was used which removed the patina and maybe corrosion. A person could have had this coin for 30+ years with no change, but the deed was done before that time. IMO. Jim
Hey everyone, thanks for your input. You're right, it has sat for about 50 years untouched, so it must have been cleaned a long time ago (why in the hell would somebody do that?!!). Anyhow, regarding the color balance, I did do a lot of adjustment in photoshop on all the levels, saturation, color balance, etc. so it might not be true to life. It was way oversaturated and very reddish before I post processed. So.... the big question is... what's it worth now that we have determined it's been cleaned and a potential ~VF20+? Thanks.
Considering you are saying that it does not look like that today, this will be a stab, but $20 - $30 should be in the ballpark.
As to the cleaning 50 years ago or more. It was accepted by most collectors until Third party grading started up, then realization hit. Some on the forum realized it much sooner of course. I can't claim that as I have several from the 70s I bought that I now recognize easily as cleaned, recolored, retoned, etc. So most likely who ever cleaned it then was following advice from many that it would improve coins. Below are 4 ads from an issue of Numismatic Scrapbook ( well thought of journal) from 1960. Notice how each ad claims to be harmless, etc. No wonder so many were cleaned. As to price, back ebay sales would probably be the best bet. Jim
Hey, thanks for posting those old ads.... very cool to look at! That's amazing that the general consensus back then was that cleaning was safe, but ever since the third-party grading companies started up it has been decided that a cleaned coin is worth less. I'm assuming because the cleaned coins are rarer and much harder to find since the majority of people back then subjected their coins to cleaning based on the influence of those ads.
