Kanga I'm with you as it just might be die polish marks . You're right that they don't seem to go over the devices . I'd love to see that coin in hand as she could go either way .
I offered him a nice clean raw one cheap now it's on its way to pcgs and it'll be more when I sell it
Oh it is definitely cleaned, and not die polish. Die polish scratches tend to be symmetrical across the fields. The reverse shows a circular abrasive pattern. If there were die polish, it would have far more luster remaining--the coin is dull looking and has that harshly cleaned look that polished or buffed coins have.
My advice if you want a nice graded trade for a fair (not cheap) price start looking on ha I've bought half a dozen at their sales
There are loads of possibilities. The one I got two weeks ago was on E-bay and it was under market--I don't think there are a shortage of Trade Dollars out there. I could name several reliable dealers (some of whom deal both on and off Ebay) who will give you a nice, slabbed, no problems--no drama coin for a fair price. So why keep looking at the dubious problem stuff? This is a matter of learning, not repeating the same mistake--raw Trade Dollars are only reserved for the very knowledgeable of that series due to the misuse and counterfeiting of that series. Finding a raw one that can grade isn't easy--so many problem coins.
Dougmeister, I sent you a link to a very nice Trade Dollar that is an AU 53 asking $450. It is a very attractive coin, in a slab, and from a very reputable dealer. Make them a good offer. I've bought many coins from them, and they are super reliable and have coins with high eye appeal.
Ok. I quit, too. It's just frustrating that some people (read: very, very few) are able to get incredible deals on these. I am just trying to learn and not make another stupid mistake. I'll quit posting questions here on Unslabbed trade dollars.
Incredible deals are by their very nature extremely scarce, which makes me wonder why you might get frustrated simply because you haven't hit the numismatic lottery.
why does it have to be a deal? Most of the coins in my collection, I bought above book price. I am ok with that because i believe they are awesome coins.