I was watching this one for a few days, but refrained from bidding for a number of reasons, none the least the crappy pictures. http://cgi.ebay.com/Half-Cent-1811-...320352?pt=UK_Coins_USA_RL&hash=item27b714d520 Described as 1811 half cent. Close date variety (c-2) as far as I can tell from the poor pictures. Closed at $1150 or thereabouts. Even in VF25 this is a $3800-5000 coin. So if genuine (and it just cannot tell from the pictures provided), this was a good deal. But is it? What do you guys think?
I think the bidders are better graders than the seller. It went for approximately F-15 net money ($1300) and that's about what it looks like to me. The XF/AU was dramatic over grading of the details and that's before deductions for condition. I'm assuming that there is some porosity along with a few dings. It isn't safe to assume otherwise from poor photos. Of course, that's just my opinion. Now here is another similar example: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=200549735535&si=4hB8cK9Yv6vJi50UdpfqY%252BmpdZE%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT This appears to have been PROPERLY called VF details (about where I would detail grade the subject) which would make it worth $1500+. But you have to assume porosity with a darkly lighted or out of focus image. Thus, this sold for ~$360 with shipping or about G-4 money. For that, I couldn't go wrong as long as it's genuine. Of course, I knew it's a slightly rarer variety (R4) without the premium it should command, even in G-4. I think I did well, but not Killer.
Yep... hard to tell with those crappy pictures. Anyway, you could save a few bucks and try for a really LOW grade example: http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-1811-U-S-HALF-CENT-/350418383108?pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item5196903104
Marshall, that 1794 you got was certainly a good deal. Surprisingly really considering what early copper sells for normally on Ebay. Even I could tell that one is worth more, but let us know what it looks like in-hand when you get it. Coming back to the 1811 1/2 C, I am probably grading it a little higher than F12, judging from the pictures alone, which I agree is not easy. I have a VG10 (from Goldbergs) which looks a whole lot more beat up than this one. 1811 1/2C's are really not scarce in low grades, see how many are offered on ebay at any one time. But higher grade examples are few and far between. So the buyer of this coin may just have got a good buy, IF the coin is real, and not hiding any surface problems not visible in the picture.
Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! It hurts. This is one of the top 5 coins on my wantlist (actually I want BOTH varieties). And I figure at best I can afford a F-12 or -15. And I suspect they will cost me more than was paid for that coin. I'm sure no slab kept the price down. But I couldn't take the gamble with that much money. I might have drooled a bit but I would have passed.
The fellow has a feedback rating of 26. He sells X-Boxes, play stations and sweaters. Oh, and coins. I'd be inclined to shy away. Too risky.....
in the past some unscrupulous e bay listers have been known to show a photo of a much better grade coin than they are acually selling, i have sent a few back for this reason.....plus i totally agree with green18 stay away.
Passing would have been a very good idea. The coin in question is almost certainly a fake. The 1's of the the date ar too tall and thin and the reverse die does not match that used on either of the two known 1811 varieties. On both the C-1 and C-2 the leaf point below the M is just left of the right upright, the berry below A2 is to the left of the center of the letter, and the leaf point below A3 is below the left foot of the letter. On the subject coin the leaf point is below the space between the M&E, the berry is right of the center of the A and the leaf point is below the right foot of the A. So someone is now out almost $1300 for a Chinese copy. Not such a bargain after all.
