GTG 1836 half cent

Sorry, for quoting your statement. those surfaces show much better preservation than a 50. Do you see a cleaning?

It's not far of base with a 60.

 

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In hand, it’s definitely not a 60. There is some wear noticeable on the hair and the reverse. I think 45 is an undergrade, but it’s not going to make mint state.

 

Thank you for the EAC grade @Publius2. That is a system that I am not familiar enough with to hazard a guess as to the grade.

 

Please don't misunderstand me: There is nothing at all wrong with the OP's coin. It's a nice, higher grade example of a circulated coin. Cleaned? Not that I can detect from the photos. The grade of a coin is a compilation of a number of different factors which I described when I offered a grade. The fields on this coin are pretty nice for a circulated coin but they are not pristine or even close to mint state.

It's hard to hazard a grade from photos and most photos, as in this case, are not very good. And of course, people will disagree even experienced graders of which I don't include myself.

 

You're welcome. If you're going to collect early copper, you might find it beneficial (but not absolutely necessary) to buy a copy of EAC's grading Guide. It explains the criteria and rationale but it is distinctly different from current market grading. Nevertheless, you can expand your knowledge base considerably by digesting the reasoning behind the EAC grading. You don't have to agree with those standards but understanding them will likely enrich your collecting. I know it did mine. But then, I tend to buy relevant books before I buy the coins.

I looked on EBay and Amazon and found only one used copy on Amazon for $50 plus $4 shipping. It was originally $100.

In the April issue of Penny-Wise, the EAC journal, there was an ad for new copies for $55 postpaid. The seller was Gammill Numismatics:

Ron@Gammillnumismaticsllc.com
662-736-3222

I have no connection to either seller whatsoever.

 

It's a great coin no matter the grade.

 

For me, this nice coin qualifies as a "stealth" AU+, 52-53. The surfaces of the fields of the obverse are free of bag marks and have a very uniform, surface patina, which is original (?). The reverse shows fine, long scratches, from someone's mishandling somewhere in the past; wear on the reverse; the leaves and letters, isn't (to me, anyway) enough to knock it out of the running for AU. Not a flashy coin, but better-than-XF sharpness.

 

And we haven't even seen the grade yet.
I have one of the sliders I bought raw years ago,
These Half cents are fun to grade.
Haven't seen @Insider in a while.
These old Anacs slabs outta trigger a memory or two.

 

I posted the full front on the first page of comments, about 3/4 of the way down. ANACS put ef45 on it. The same group had a couple of coins in older holders including an 1864 CN Indian cent in an ANA of standards holder marked ms60. It’s better than that and I’ll get photos of it tomorrow.