1855-S $3 Gold
REALGATOR
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This coin is in a unmarked (raw) plastic holder. Any thoughts what our host might grade this coin? The scratch between "ED" in UNITED is on the holder. The strike on the 55-S is usually weak. Thanks!
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You'll have to send it to me for closer examination. I assure you that I will return it...
USAF (Ret) 1974 - 1994 - The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries. Remembering RickO, a brother in arms.
XF40 assuming there isn't any trace of solder on the rim.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Basically what I would call it, but it might have enough rarity points for a 45.
Looks VF30ish to me.
What a great coin! Do you think the black residue in only the tight spaces is an indication of cleaning?
When you send it in to get graded, suggest that you also get it professional conserved. Exposing more of the underlying luster may bump the grade from 40 to 45.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
The coin is definitely cleaned and something that would have been returned in a body bag several decades ago.
VF35 and looking at this date/mint specifically maybe even a XF40
What does the third side of the coin look like? Specifically wondering about areas ~1:00 and 6:30 on the obverse. Definitely worth a shot with our host regardless, just never know because it could easily slide thru without details designation. I would be prepared for a cleaned/details grade until I got it back in my hands if it were mine.
I have a nice, more common $3 I want to send in. Looking to get to Mid-States show if possible.
Good luck, it's a great coin.
Mark
XF40. Definitely NOT cleaned, in fact the opposite. Dirt and circulation evident in the correct places. I admit to cheating on the grade as I have a '56-S in PCGS VF35 in much the same look, but more evidence of wear/flatness in the hair detail, so this is an easy XF40 call.
Strongly disagree with the notion of dipping/stripping/"improving" luster on it as well. You (or someone else) can always make it look "processed" later -- if you're going to do that anyway why not just take some jeweler's rouge to it why dontcha.
The areas around the edge at 1:00 and 6:30 on the obverse is just overhang from the plastic holder edge, not coin damage.
Most definitely cleaned, and the remaining dirt holds the key. Too difficult to remove all the hard to remove dirt, so it was left. Probably all that gunk was covering all the denticles.
FWIW, I think it was cleaned also.
Hopefully, the OP will submit it to one of the major grading services and will share the results with us.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I plan on sending in a group of coins including this one soon. I'll share the results.
Share please! I am making the call of "straight graded, XF." We shall see!
Polar opposite point of view. That dirt and delightful gunk is akin to grime collected from a leather purse and the like. If one were to clean it, the sheen of a cleaning would be evident, as well as significant hairlines, and much, if not all, of the dirt you're seeing would wash away with even moderate effort.
My take is straight grade and XF, judging as best I can from the images. The OP will let us know who's right!
when I saw this coin I say: Another fake one?? No it is not fake, IMHO was not clean and will go 30. Any gold coin from that period if clean will be more redish.
NEVER ARGUE WITH AN IDIOT.
FIRST THEY WILL DRAG YOU DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL.
THEN, THEY WILL BEAT YOU WITH EXPERIENCE.
MARK TWAIN
Let's see, the people with decades of experience say cleaned.....
The pale orange around the lettering is the original scrubbed surface and the golden highlights are the retoning that has occurred since. Yes, the black is the crap that didn't come off during the original scrub. Once you have viewed thousands, it's very easy to distinguish nice from ugly. And this one isn't nice.
Quoted for posterity (I think you mean to say the pale orange around the lettering is the original UNscrubbed surface, I agree that's where remaining luster resides -- but nothing was scrubbed.) Good lord, maybe you've looked at thousands of cleaned ones, and are under the impression that's how they "should" look.
Time will tell -- I thank the OP in advance for sharing the results with us when they happen. Whichever way it goes, I will either admit to my incorrectness, or remain quietly satisfied.
This coin looks like the many well circulated gold coins that I've seen in straight graded top tier slabs. I'm looking forward to seeing how this coin is graded by the professionals.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire