I recently added this dollar to my collection and wanted to share. My photo skills are not great but it's close to how the coin looks in hand. The black lines look almost like they were airbrushed on. I have no idea what could have caused them. It was probably cleaned some time in the last 150 years or so but it looks decent in hand. I am considering sending this one in for grading. Can you guys give an opinion of the grade? I would call it a VG-10 but I don't have much experience with these earlier coins. Thanks for any input.
I believe the black streaks were caused by prolonged-contact with rubber bands. I've sold early silver with these same streaks in the past, and was informed that they're indeed the result of chemicals in the rubber bands reacting with the silver. Unfortunately, IMHO, they would keep the coin from grading at PCGS - They're too distracting. The TPG would consider the coin "environmentally damaged". Other than that, it's a nice VG example :thumb:
Rubber bands? Would somebody have rubber banded a stack of coins together? I could see where the pattern has that look to it. I appreciate the information.
I am unfamiliar with wear patterns on old silver, but I'm suspicious anytime there is XF detail on the grooves of shielding on a coin with significant wear elsewhere. Right or wrong, my mind immediately jumps to CHINESE! I hope I'm wrong.
I know it sounds absurd, and that was my reaction, too. I'm not exactly sure what purpose the rubber bands served, but your theory of the coins being rubber banded in stacks seems plausible. I'm not sure what other practical use the rubber bands could have had.
The coin weighs correct, the edge lettering looks correct and it feels and smells like silver. I feel pretty good about calling it legit. I also had my trusted local dealer look at it and he says it looks right to him. That is one of the main reasons I wanted to send it for grading though. I want to be 100% sure it's a good one.
I did some research on Heritage and it appears that shield grooving on Silver does hold up much better than the same devices on copper with which I am far more familiar. Plus, this appears to have several mint imperfections which would be almost impossible to duplicate. So I think it's legit. I also think I have a good candidate for attribution. BB-186 has the right leaning 8, and HWH right of center of the R on the obverse and the imperfections right of S2 on the reverse. But not being familiar with the entire series, I don't know if these points are diagnostic or not.
The first impression this piece gives to me is that it had prolonged exposure to rubber bands or something similar. Rubber has a very high sulfur content and I believe it can stain the surfaces of a coin when exposed for a long time. This piece may have sat on them, within a stack of other items or been wrapped with something similar to rubber bands that could have dried and degraded over time to leave the marks.
Marshall, Thanks for all the great information. I feel that much better about it being a good coin. Should I worry about the black streaks being stable? I would assume they have been there for years and are not going to get worse.
