GTG: 1844 Seated Liberty half

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Is the coin scratched up or is it the slab?

 

AU55 nice coin especially those beautiful die cracks.

 

AU 58. A beautiful slider. Could even be MS, but I will stick with AU 58. Great eye appeal, and a super die crack! Absolutely love the coin.

 

A nicely struck coin. Notice the details of the claws and arrow heads. AU-58.
I pondered a previous cleaning with subsequent re-toning because of the consistent shading from edge toward center of coin.
She looks like she is wearing swimming goggles.

 

I never see any reason to be to technical about such a very nice example of a historic coin. I would comment with my opinion if the coin was in hand, but, if it was close to the photo, I would not mind owning it.

I have a thing for continuous die cracks on obverse and reverse, when they enhance a coin with very nice details.

 

It was unquestionably lightly dipped in the past, but has retoned. I really think it deserves a A plus for attractiveness.

 

I like the look....I went conservative at AU 50

 

A bit of complexity to my answer. I voted AU-55. I think technical sharpness is AU-58 but I think the TPG knocked it for the old cleaning. Yes, it has recovered nicely from the old-time dipping but that's not what I'm talking about. I think there are clear cleaning scratchmarks, particularly on the obverse, less so on the reverse. These are parallel marks in the obverse fields and across Liberty's arms and legs and torso. I've marked up a photo below to show the areas in question. My guess is the TPG said it was market-acceptable but kicked it down a grade for that.

Now, if those scratches are on the slab and not the coin, then I take it all back and it graded AU-58 all day long.

In addition to the nice die cracks, it also has a repunched mintmark. 1844 is famous for both. I know you're not interested in die marriage attribution but if you want to determine it, go online to Bill Bugert's book at the LSCC website and you can look it up. It's free and you don't need to register or join or any of that kind of crudola.

Bill Bugert's Register of Liberty Seated Half Dollar Varieties books (lsccweb.org)

Despite what I said, it's an attractive coin and I love the early silver and copper.

 

I voted AU-53. The coin has some rub on Ms. Liberty's breast and knee and there is a lot of rub in the fields as @Publius2 indicated previously I was stuck between AU-55 and 53 and finally settled on 53.

 

If those were cleaning scratches, then they would have details graded the coin. I think it is minor wear, from contact.

 

Actually, I agree with you more than you know. Which is why I said I have some uncertainty regarding scratches-on-coin vs. scratches-on-slab. But I pointed out the way in which the scratches are parallel and cross both fields and devices which is consistent with cleaning scratches. I also voted for a AU-55 straight-grade and said why but also explained my reservations and what I perceived from the photos to be the basis for those reservations.

I am not as certain as you that a TPG will never straight-grade a cleaned coin with cleaning scratches on it. I agree it would be unusual but is it unheard-of? No. Particularly with older coinage. They seem to be more lenient the older, rarer and more valuable the coin but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a TPG rule-of-thumb.

 

Gorgeous coin.

 

It's a beautiful coin but so had to go AU-53 on her.

 

I'm at 55, but don't think 58 is out of the question either. Lovely coin!

 

55 or 58. That’s a dynamite coin.

 

55 here too. Nice coin, your lordship.

 

Pretty coin. I'll go with 58.