really weird coin

swissmiss45

Just going thru some old coins I inherited and found a really strange one I can't find in any books. Would appreciate any info on it. It is the size of the regular half dollars- in fact it was in with some Franklins and Kennedys. It says on the front United States Of America half dollar-E Pluribus Unum - In God We Trust -1946 - But it is a Booker T. Washington and the reverse says (going around the edge) Booker T. Washington Birth Place and the bottom edge says "Liberty". In the center it says "From Slave Cabin to Hall of Fame" with an image of a log cabin below and a fancy building above. Does anyone know what this is from? It looks like an old coin and is heavy - looks like some of the old liberty halves. Would appreciate any info. Thanks- swissmiss45

goose3

it would be a commemorative half dollar.

if you have a "REDBOOK" look under commemoratives and you'll find it!

cladking

Hi. Welcome. It's a comemmorative on a 90% silver planchet. Not rare except in very high grade.

swissmiss45

Thanks for the help, I don't have the red book, I'm new at this although I used to scan change and pull out anything old and interesting, mother was a waitress in Chicago for many years and used to buy any old stuff that she found in the daily cash flow there. I have a lot of coins-many not worth much, but some should be and I need to find an honest dealer in my area. The first one I went to was a rip off artist and I decided to keep looking. I will look for the red book and that sounds like it would give me an idea what the coins are worth.
swissmiss45

swissmiss45

Thanks for the help. Both sides are very readable and it still has much of the sheen on it although it looks a little dirty inside the lettering which makes it that much easier to read because it is a dark background to the raised letters. I scanned it and enlarged it and it still is readable if that means anything. Do you know what the price range (ball park) might be?
Swissmiss45

Placid

$13-$45 for au-ms65. Not extremly valuable

There is a online price guide here Link
as well as the pcgs price guide here Link

While not extremly accurate they are ok for ballpark prices.

Coppernicus

Wewlcome to the boards swissmiss - I'm sure you will learn a lot here as have I. I am a bit concerned about your description of your coin. The sheen, coupled with dark in and around the lettering may indicate that the coin has been cleaned and/or whizzed. Not good! But, that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy it.

Coppernicus

construct

The dark around the letters is probably natural toning. For goodness sake, don't try to clean it off! I wouldn't worry too much about its being whizzed since you know where it's been most of its life. Of course handle it as little as possible and then only by the edges. You might want to get an "air-tight" holder to keep it in.

swissmiss45

Thanks again for the help, as for the wheats, I don't have them all calaloged but there must be about 5 lbs of wheats in the pile also some Indian Heads. Like I said we didn't do it professionally, but I thing just about every year has some and some years I have a cup full of the wheats.
Another biggy my mom collected was the buffalos( I put those in rolls to make it easier and have about $16.00 worth -cash value)-also have a couple of V's which I had to look up. There are also Morgan and Peace Dollars & Halfs from the Liberty, Franklin & Kennedy's from '64 & '64-D up to centennials. I need to learn more about grading and I could talk more intelligently. When I was speaking of the coin dealer I spoke with he offered me $11.00 for a plastic box with 20 1968-D Kennedy halfs listed at ms 63-65 but when I purchased them, the company that I bought them from 'claimed' they actually should have been graded higher at least most because they had been lost in a vault for years and uncirculated. I bought them in '85 as an investment then heard it was a farce - 68's weren't valuable so I put them in the bank box were they sat till I showed them to the dealer. I saw the pcgs listed the ms 65 for $42.00 each that is quite a difference in value-that's why I am so unsure who to trust.
swissmiss45

swissmiss45

Thanks for info again! Also, explain what the club you spoke of is.
swissmiss45

Placid

Dealers usually are not the best place to sell your coins.
$11 for a face value of $10 seems pretty low.
If you want to sell them put them on eBay or in the buy sell trade section.
Raw coins that may or may not be a certain grade will not usually get as much as a pcgs MS65 graded coin.

swissmiss45

I looked at it, it doesn't look cleaned it actually looks dirty. It was in a big box of other coins and none were cleaned, but the years of dust & maybe oil from fingers handling them would accumulate. I think my mother told me once not to clean old coins so I doubt she would have. Were ever it came from, some one else might have at some time but it still doesnt look cleaned. The sheen looks like the kennedy halfs that were not circulated much.
swissmiss45

swissmiss45

Thanks for the help, I checked out the links and those will help me a lot - I really appreciate it.
swissmiss45

swissmiss45

Sounds like good advice, thanks!
swissmiss45

swissmiss45

I agree, but I once ran a store ( not coins ) so I understand overhead and a mark up to pay the bills, but that was ridiculous! I am really glad I checked the internet before I went in or he would have had me convinced that the coins were worthless.
I have never been on eBay so it is a little intimidating to me, I'll have to check it out.
On the coin grading, it is expensive? Would it be worth doing before trying eBay? I have 5 of those packages or 100 of the Kennedy '68-D halves, would I need to send them all if it is reasonable or just 1 pack to check them out? I feel like a pre-schooler in college with these coins now, but everyone here has been so helpful, I feel like I'm among friends.
swissmiss45

jhar

Hi SwissMiss... I love your Hot Chocolate!!!!!!!

Seriously though, welcome to the forum. I hope you enjoy yourself.