This one is a bit different. I don't have the answer, not my coin and not my photos. In fact, it is not even certified, but I though it might be interesting. See http://www.ebay.com/itm/390375133580?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 Obviously the coin is worn, but equally obvious, to me anyway, a lot/most/all of that flatness is due to strike and not wear. It might even be the design of the coin. What grade would you give it and why or how did you determine that grade?
RLM, I would have to guess it as an inbetween 2 grades. my first would be between a VF and XF due to the wear on the obverse (thigh, shoulder, forehead) and on the reverse the date, feathers, wreath, and nicks on the rim. That is a well struck coin I wonder if it is legit.
No idea what it should grade because I don't know what an MS example should like. And yeah I'll agree there are some areas that are weakly struck. But there is also what looks to be a good deal of wear. Weak strike doesn't end up flat "flat". Weak strike will have somewhat uneven surfaces. Wear creates flat "flat" like on the shoulder, arms, head, hip and ribbon. Flat, when used to describe strike, and yes I am aware that it is used that way, is a somewhat misleading term.
I would say about VF 25 or so. I am going more on the reverse wear patterns as I have not seen the obverse and not sure how much of the flatness on the main device is wear or strike. Just my guess. I think its an attractive copper coin, and very historical.
If that is a 63, then I would bump my guess up to a 35 on the Ebay coin. Those leaves sure look flat on the 63, I was guessing more was wear.
I don't know anything about the token in question on ebay, but the color certainly reminds me of copper that had something like deller's darkener used on it. Not saying it has since I am not familiar with those. Just an observation.
I have no experience with said coin, but I would venture a guess of Vf-35, with a chance at XF-40....
You could be right sir, I thought I saw just enough contrast on the worn portions to not be sure. One never knows the copper mix used, and how it reacts with wear and age on these in my experience unless you have seen other examples similar to it. I confess I have seen few of these in my collecting career.
Not sure what my 2¢ is worth, but he is my opinion. The color is just too uniform. Something has been done to clean or recolor is. Guessing, cleaned some time ago and aged. The denticles where not protected from by rim (i.e. 12:00 on the obverse) do show a little wear but not much when compared to those protected by the rim (6:00). I think that wear equates to an XF coin. That seem to pretty much agree with what I would suspect not well struck leaves to look like as on the reverse. My first take was that of Leadfoot's, but the more I looked, the more I thought there was a bit too much wear for AU.
