Lowball Moderns

Treeman

Can anyone explain to me how a coin like the Kennedy Half, or Ike Dollar can end up in such a worn condition LEGITIMATELY? I have heard the "pocket piece" explanation, and that begs the question, "What on earth is that guy doing in his pocket?" It would be very hard to wear a coin that much by carrying it around, even if you walked around with your pocket full of sand....

Connecticoin

In can take years or even decades, but daily pocket-piecing of a coin can wear an Ike or Kennedy to G4 or below. I am still working on 3 classic commems that started out as hairlined AUs and are now VF.

LanceNewmanOCC

@Connecticoin said:
started out as hairlined AUs and are now VF.

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are you a jogger.

Oldhoopster

Call me cynical, but they may not be legitimate

A rock tumbler, couple of types of media, artificially aged/patinated or buried for a period of time. But I suppose there could be a lot of heavily worn pocket pieces out there. Wish I could could find them, but in over 50+ years of collecting and looking at all my change I haven't seen any clad less than a VG and those were few and far between.

I have no data to support that some/many PO-01 and Fair-2 clads are not legit, so it's only my opinion, but things seem to smell fishy in the lowball modern arena (at least to me)

oih82w8

First thing I thought of was gambling machines, for Ike Dollars. Not sure about Kennedy Half Dollars.

SanctionII

The mind set of those who participate in the hobby can be and is both interesting, perplexing and amusing.

If one sees an Ike dollar or a JFK half dollar that is worn down to the "lowball" level of a PO-1 or a FR-2 suspicion arises and people question whether the coin is "legitimate" (is it the result of natural or honest wear in circulation, or is it the result of something that is not natural and dishonest wear?).

What is the definition of "legitimate" anyway?

Same thing with toning (is the coin NT, AT or simply MA?).

Same thing with untoned coins (is the coin dipped and stripped?; and if so is it MA?).

Not everyone in the hobby thinks the same. Thus what is a persons "ideal coin" varies.

One may place "originality" at the top of their personal list of desirable characteristics of a coin (even if a fully original coin is hideously ugly).

One may place "positive eye appeal" at the top of their personal list of desirable characteristics of a coin (even if the coin is the product of human intervention with the intention of making the coin "pretty").

As for low ball moderns, they are a conversation starter. Like them or dislike them, these coins occupy a niche in the hobby and will not go away any time soon.

Connecticoin

@LanceNewmanOCC said:

@Connecticoin said:
started out as hairlined AUs and are now VF.

.
are you a jogger.

No, and I don't even carry them every day. Took 10 years to get to VF so far.

pocketpiececommems

moursund

@pocketpiececommems said:

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OMG! The heads have been worn clean off!

ricko

There is 'pocket ' wear, and 'tumbler' wear.... However, one of the best methods is to use a vibratory cartridge cleaner. Add the right 'medium' and progress is fairly prompt and indistinguishable from 'natural' wear. Since no one seems to mention this, I believe it may be a 'trade secret'. Cheers, RickO

mr1931S

vibratory cartridge cleaner

Treasure in my pocket has turned into treasure in my vibratory tumbler?

OAKSTAR

I find these things all the time. No idea how, what, where or why!