A good purchase?

Hi all! I have a question regarding a coin purchase and wondered if you would be so kind as to give your expertise opinions.. I know nothing about this coin so please take it at face value as I screen shot the pic.. lol

 

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I know it is very worn but I'm interested in the possibility that there's an error on the reverse

 

The coin looks like it was cleaned with steel wool or with a wire brush. Just my opinion.

 

Scratched all to heck. $30 coin, max. Not an error coin.

 

When did you purchase this coin?

 

The stars are 'worn' yet 'Liberty' is clearly discernible.

 

Look like it was harshly cleaned with an abrasive.

 

I have a question! Is it really possible that a coin like the op has shown to have a lot more wear on either side than the other? I know the op coin is look to be damaged and cleaned. But is it possible for a coin from 1836 to have a lot more circulation wear on one side than the other? Just wondering! It looks like the reverse, the eagle and shield look to be in better shape than the wording and the stars on the obverse looks worse than the liberty but the reverse looks to be in better shape. Just thought that the liberty and eagle are higher contact point it would be worn faster and more even than the wording and stars.....

 

I have not purchased the coin.. just interested in it. Thank you for all the great advice. I don't think I will buy it after all..

 

Good decision!

 

More than likely, it would be that one side was struck with an older, worn die, so the details were lacking from the start.

 

On this design, the "LIBERTY" in incuse, into the surface of the coin. Therefore it is one of the last devices that would be worn off of this piece. The coin could be almost completely worn, the Fair or Poor grades, and the all or part of the "LIBERTY" would show. The "LIBERTY" is not a grading point on these coins like it is on some other designs.

The design often makes one side look better than the other on my 19th century coins. The obverse is frequently not as nice as the obverse, even on AU and Mint State pieces. It probably has something to do with the design which has more devices on the reverse that can stand up to circulation better.

I would not purchase this coin unless the price was at or near the melt value. It has lots of wear and has been cleaned and scratched.

This half dollars tend to come in at least VF condition. Many of them spent a lot of time in bank vaults and did not circulate that much. The banks of the period held these pieces to back the paper money they issued. The Federal Government did not issue paper money at this time. Virtually all of the paper money that circulated, prior to the Civil War, was issued privately by banks. It's easy to find one that is better than this piece.

 

...I don’t think it would straight grade and, besides, is not worth the cost to do so.

Great info @johnmilton ...Spark

 

Out of curiosity, why would you be looking to buy a coin that you know little to nothing about? I suggest you study every aspect of a type coin before planning on spending the money to buy one. JMHO

 

especially visible on nickels and dimes from being slid across a bar to buy a drink.
Rare to see individual coins like that because they aren't kept. Common to see in dealer's junk bins.

 

And that is exactly what I was doing... Studying on it, thinking about it and getting opinions from more experienced collectors before I purchase anything. Thank you for your advice Mountain Man it is much appreciated!

 

How do you know when to buy or not buy? Being new at this hobby, is it not kosher to ask someone with more experienced their opinion? This is a learning experience for me..

 

Perfectly kosher...that’s what we are here for.

As for how do you know when or when not to buy...you have just gone through the process.
1. You found the half dollar.
2. You researched the coin.
3. You asked for info and opinions from Coin Talk and received tons of answers.
4. You decided not to buy.

I can’t think of a better way to say this...now you just have to repeat with a different coin...and the next one you may buy no matter what we say, because you are learning and becoming more independent.

Be confident, don’t second guess yourself, weigh the evidence and have fun...Spark

 

Honestly, OP..... I think that we collectors have to go through a period where we make impulsive and passion driven purchases. Along the way we make some less than desirable buys. Conversely we make some fortunate purchases. All the while we are building a collection, but more importantly a knowledge base. I got boxes and boxes of coins I purchased as a young and uninformed collector. Yet I learned something from each and every one. Even the ugly and abused coins have something they can teach us. If you like it, I see no harm in buying provided the coin is priced right. It’s a hobby. Enjoy it!