thanks, is it worth getting it profesionally graded? or should i just buy a case for it to keep it protected? here is a better representation of the color. used the flash this time.
Looks worthy of getting it graded. May come up XF or better. But I really think that coin is to nice for you so send it to me. I'll give it a great home.
You can send it to my grading service, but there is not a guarantee of return I would keep it in a heartbeat, nice coin.
hehe..he must have learned my photo tricks. Seriously though,it's a very nice coin and probably worth having it graded. As for the flash,they work well with silver coins but it would be better to look at your digital camera's light settings and switch it to "incandescent".Unfortunately,at least in my case,you have to reset every time you turn it on because it usually default to "auto".The yellow look is caused by having it on auto.I've never seen a digital that didn't have this option.Read the manual if necessary,even though men hate do do that..
ok, last time. thanks to Mikjo0 and the camera lesson, this is what the coin looks like to the naked eye.
That is a really nce old Half Dollar that appears to be in EF condition! However, it appears that is may have been ** cleaned some time ago and I think the only reputable grading service that would grade it, would be ANACS. If the coin has been cleaned, the notation by ANACS "EF40 Cleaned" on the slab could do more harm if you ever decide to sell the coin. ** Note the lighter areas in the fields and the darker areas around and within the details and letters! Don't take my word for it and wait to see if others think the coin has been cleaned and what having the coin graded would mean per selling the coin. In any event, it is a nice coin to keep and I would seal it in a nice plastic protective holder. Frank
the coin was my wife's grandfather's. we found it in a desk drawer, deep in the back, in a small wooden box, and wrapped in a piece of paper. the paper had a note on it that read "unintelligible name carried this in his pocket everywhere". could he have cleaned it? maybe, but i think he got it and just stuck it in his drawer. it has a very nice patina to it and looking at it in my hand it doesn't look like it was cleaned just rubbed by pocket fingering. anyway we're not planning on selling it as it is a very nice momento and a plastic case is on order to store it in.
Its just such a nice coin. I love the back, and the feathering on the eagle. On the issue of it being cleaned, in my very amature opinion, I do not think it was cleaned. Its true that there are darker spots new lettering but that is ALWAYS the case since these areas are not touched. to my eye, I don't see the kind of severe gradiant between the open areas of the coin and the lettering to indicate cleaning. In fact, the entire area around the lettering is darkened, not just tight to the letters. And the open areas are lightened. This is the pattern I would expect with a coin that has been handled a bit. Is she naked on this coin Ruben
I would agree that the coin appears to have been cleaned at some time. But if it was a pocket piece as described that could also account for the look of being cleaned. I would not submit the coin for grading, in my opinion it would grade no higher than VF given the wear on the obverse. Besides that, any of the major grading companies would consider the coin as damaged due to the gouges on the obverse. All of them except ANACS would body bag the coin and not grade it at all. ANACS would slab it alright but they would place it in a problem coin holder.
I was just going to post that, despite the fact that you are a pro and I have NO expertise. But rather than a problem with the cleaning, its got damage on the leg and right side of the obverse. I don't know why such coins are body bagged and I think it is wrong. This coin DOES have value and it is some theratectical grade from perfection. They should just grade it and shut up. I wonder, considering the note etc, if this coin was carried into combat in the Civil War as a good luck charm or just for no reason. That would give an interesting explanation of the damage and explain why someone always carried it around later Ruben
I'm not a pro Ruben, I'm just another collector. And I never mentioned a word about value - I only described my opinion for the grade and the reasons for it. And I gave an accurate accounting of what would happen if the coin were submitted for grading. That's all. And you make a very good point about about the historical aspect. For example, what would you think if I told about an 1860 $20 gold piece with a large dent it from a bullet - no doubt about it, that's serious damage. And yet the coin is considered to be priceless ? It's quite true - a damaged coin considered to be priceless.But that particular damaged coin has something called a provenance - that's what makes it priceless. This coin may have a provenance too, and you're right it might just add to the value if the provenance can be documented. But until then, what I said above is what will happen if the coin is submitted for grading.
