See the attached scans - they really are crappy. On the obverse there is much more detail than this scan shows. How to you get such good pictures? I spent over 1 hour trying different things with my scanner and camera. The reverse scan is close to the actual color of the coin. I think it is VG and almost, maybe fine- but I am not sure how the white spot near the second star would change this. One small spot between 9-10 on the front that is possibly porous. There is more detail aound the hair and ear than you can see in the scan, plus the reverse is slightly rotated. Of course all the little white specs are from the scanner and it actually is in much better shape than these scans appear.
Actually the scan has been modified - I tweaked it to try to get it to show some of the detail. The coin is not as good as the picture you posted - the hair to the left of the ear is more worn and everything is worn smoother than what you posted - but when I use the normal scan you really can not see any detail at all(as a matter of fact the scanner wants to make it black and white). I do not have anything to put it into yet, so I do not want to take it out of the 2x2. I am not sure if it does have a little porisity - in good light it looks like rim damage. Iit is down to VG. But I think it is the second best large cent I have and in the sun light it looks great. The dealer talked with me and my dad about dipping and cleaning. He stated this coin was the original dark colors - he pulled out some coins that had been cleaned. Then he showed me come that had great details, but were cleaned and treated - a couple were really done really good and he did not expect me to catch them(basically he said you just have to look at them for a few years). Of course the prices reflected the coin treatment - he called these coins a harsh treatment of the coin. As for dipping he said if it was done right it would not hurt the coin, but when done wrong you damage the coin( like the ones he showed me). And the picture does help! But the best thing about mine - is I already have it.
Mark, The colors may just be a bit off in your photos/scans. The reason I questioned the color was, specifically, that the protected areas around the devices are lighter than the devices themselves. This is the type of look you often see on a high grade cent, but I have never once seen it in an original coin below XF grade. Yet your coin is clearly worn below XF. I would expect the look of a coin this worn to be more even, and if anything, darker in the protected areas around the devices. Take a look at the areas around, for instance, the first star (the one closest to the 1 in the date). This is also seen in the areas in front of Liberty's lips and along her neck and upper chest. See how it is lighter in that area immediately bordering the star? It should be darker than the star. The type of look I'm talking about is clearly evident on the following example: Do you see how your coin has kind of an opposte look to the above coin? The other think that lead me to say it had been cleaned was the color. A classic head large cent in anything but AU or MS should be dark in color. They simply don't exist red like the picture of the obverse of your coin shows. That is a tell-tale sign of a cleaned and retoned coin. I really hope I am wrong and your photos/scans are just off, but if the coin is how the pictures look and it is original, I will eat a large cent out of my collection...Mike p.s. I don't mean to criticize your dealer, but remember he only makes money if he convinces you to buy a coin. I have no such motivation.
I had not planned on doing this, but I will send it in for grading in a couple of months. I will let you(and the dealer) know. But I still plan on keeping it. I can see what you are saying better after I took it out of the 2x2 - but angling it I can see hints of red and get a slight reflection off the surface on the front. Criticize away - it will not change me doing business with him, but I may ask better questions. I understand he needs to make money, but I pick the final coins and I do not buy a lot from him. I only have maybe 15-20 large cents. I bought 4 from him - 2 were ag/g shape and one was the 1797 I posted in the another thread. I have bought some cleaned coins - but he said they were cleaned before purchase. The quality I like in large cents are more than I am willing to spend. Also understand that even if it is cleaned I am still not dis-appointed since this is a better quality coin than I ever expected in that date range. Yes - may have paid more that it is worth, but I never plan on selling so my heirs have to worry about that - not me. That is the beauty of being single - I can invest others inheritance as I see fit. They get to pay for me learning. Ooops - forgot to mention the learning piece was why I posted with your attention. Thanks - and I have hundreds of more to find and buy.
