Rare capped bust half dime gained 150% value in four months
Bikergeek
Posts: 408 ✭✭✭✭✭
I'm thinking about the 1832 LM-9.1 today and did a little digging. At Stacks, this particular coin was offered in July 2009 (and passed), and then again in September 2009, where it was listed as a Rarity 7 remarriage in "sharpness of AU" with a description that included "lightly cleaned long ago." It sold for $920.
Stacks September 2009 auction link
Then in January 2010, almost exactly four months later, it was offered as an AU55 with no mention of cleaning, now only a Rarity 6+ in Stacks' estimation. I'm not clear on who graded it, as no TPG name is mentioned. With the claim of straight grading and no mention of cleaning, it sold for $2300.
Stacks January 2010 auction link
Pics are definitely different. Did the surface of the coin change at all?
New website: Groovycoins.com Capped Bust Half Dime registry set: Bikergeek CBHD LM Set
Comments
It sure as heck looks like it was darkened in the 2nd photo, I assume to cover up the cleaning. Thats exactly what coin doctors do, so to me it makes sense.
Hey Sean. Interesting post. The short period of time between sales sure makes it seem like it was Played with. Maybe it was given in a bath in something and stuck in an envelope of some kind for a year?
What’s your opinion?
BHNC #248 … 130 and counting.
If it had an unnatural shine from a dip or wipe but no hairlines then darkening it in an old flip could work. Would probably take longer than that though.
BTW great h10c die marriage!!!!!
lol, last time I put up a similar "then and now" post, I thought it was a doctored coin and the forum converged on the idea that was just differences in photography. But I do think this coin has differences beyond what photographic lighting would cause. But assuming they took the pics at time of each sale - there was no year to spend in that envelope, as it was truly 4 months apart. Looking at the fields above the cap and all the way down and right to about star 12, and then to the right of the date, it definitely looks like it got a little "patina" in a short time.
And @RobertScotLover , the remarriage is a great remarriage (and it's later brother, the LM-9.2, is even tougher!) but to be clear, I didn't buy this coin. I was buying a different LM-9.1 when I started doing research. :-)
New website: Groovycoins.com Capped Bust Half Dime registry set: Bikergeek CBHD LM Set
Since I am not a die variety collector, I would have no interest in that coin. The surfaces look grainy, which says to me it's been fooled with. The obverse die state appears to be early which says to me that it probably is not from die rust. That happened on some dies that were improperly stored at the Philadelphia mint.
The change in color, if true, says it's been fooled with again. It could turn a different color if you hold it, and might get worse. Strong pass.