Rare worked-on trade dollar?

shirohniichan

Look at this auction on eBay.

If you look at the enlarged photos, you can clearly see areas on both sides that have been worked on. Most likely they are repaired chopmarks. It may be a rare 1876 II/II, but it may also be a not-so-rare 1876-S II/II that had the mintmark removed. It doesn't look like the mintmark was polished off, but the coin has been so heavily altered already that it very well could have been,

If it turns out to be a genuine 1876 II/II that had its chopmarks covered, whoever did the work seriously devalued the coin.

braddick

I trust you when you state this coin has been doctored- no one knows these coins like you, but I'm missing where? Specifically where should I look?
Other than a 'soap and water' or baking soda cleaning awhile ago, this one looks pretty good (other than the issue pointed out in the auction description).

keithdagen

I'm assuming the areas that looks like print smudges on the tilted angle pics?

EVillageProwler

Shiro,

When I looked at this last night, I thought the coin was counterfeit. In any case, it definately didn't look right...

EVP

FC57Coins

Very enlightning post Shiro:

Thanks for noting it for us!

Frank

shirohniichan

Off-color areas are signs of chopmark "fill-ins". The chopmark is covered with solder, then the area is polished smooth. Sometimes they're hard to see in scans, but they're easy to see when you tilt the coin in a decent light source.

Most likely the mintmark was polished off and the surfaces work to hide the fact.

pontiacinf

with all the fakes comming from overseas, unless your shiro or someone with comparable knowledge... STAY DA fuGGGG AWAY

cascade

It looks like there was work done above & below the ribbon above the eagle on the reverse. If that was a chopmark they covered up, they sure did a good job of keeping the ribbon in tact. It is a shame though. Even if its hard to notice on the pictures, I'm sure it will stand right out in person.

shirohniichan

Judging by the closing price, at least two people thought it was real.

Either that or two people thought the work on it was worth over $130!

DDR

It's a shame because an 1876 Trade dollar, regardless of the type, is very scarce chopmarked and chopmark collectors will pay a lot for a chopped 1876. So whoever did the work probably didn't help themselves any financially, in addition to messing up the coin.