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What do you guys think of this 1871 Two Cent piece?

RussRuss Posts: 48,514 ✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum
Looks awfully nice - too nice? I keep looking at it, and looking at it trying to figure out why my spidey sense is tingling. To me, the coin looks TOO good. Am I just being paranoid?

Russ, NCNE
eBay consignment sales | | Collectibles from Resco CCC

Comments

  • PlacidPlacid Posts: 11,299 ✭✭✭
    Looks au. A better date than 1864 too image
  • LanLordLanLord Posts: 11,718 ✭✭✭✭✭
    maybe just the angle of the light, but it looks too shiney. Otherwise a nice coin.
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,272 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Looks like a nice classic EF-45 to me. In my view coins in these grades with a nice strong "WE" in the motto, especially after 1865, are underappreciated and underpriced.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • nwcsnwcs Posts: 13,386 ✭✭✭
    Looks like a little hairlining on the rev?
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  • OuthaulOuthaul Posts: 7,440 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nice looking coin, but looks cleaned to me.
  • RussRuss Posts: 48,514 ✭✭✭
    Bill,

    I agree with your assessment of the current market on these, which is why I started buying them.image Plus, I think they're fabulous little pieces of history.

    Russ, NCNE
    eBay consignment sales | | Collectibles from Resco CCC
  • FC57CoinsFC57Coins Posts: 9,140 ✭
    Russ:

    The piece looks nice technically - XF/AU. My only concern is with the color - looks funky for a copper piece, almost as if it had been dipped or cleaned at some point and it's trying to re-tone, but as you know- copper retones a funny color.

    Frank
  • 1907Quarter1907Quarter Posts: 2,770
    the arrows look flat and the we is a bit weak. I would go xf-45/au. But the color does not look right. It's like I can't put my finger on it, not that that would helpimage
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  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,272 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I think you guys are little too critical. This is a circulated coin. And in case you havn't noticed a large number of the pieces in Proof and Mint State holders have had from some to lot of work done on them to make them look like that.

    Relax! This coin looks stable to me, and if I had a chance to buy it for inventory at the bid price or a liitle less, I'd take it.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • supercoinsupercoin Posts: 2,323 ✭
    I keep looking at it, and looking at it trying to figure out why my spidey sense is tingling.

    I think that's because he keeps referring to the coin as "he". It's creepin' me out.
    imageLibertarian Party
  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    hey russ

    i'm thinking XF-low end AU for wear in the motto and a few light contact marks. at first glance i thought it looked too bright, but someone had an IHC up last week that looked red till he posted a different scan that was more indicative of the true color and it still looked sweet. i would assume this coin is probably browner than the scan shows.

    i've always liked the civil war era coinage, all the odd denominations, ever since i "inherited" my grandparents three-centers and shield nickels. imagine a two-cent-piece actually having purchasing power!!!! then again, i'm old enough to remember penny candy!!!

    lets see here, 1964 (and really all) kennedy's, walker short set, two-cent pieces. man, what could be next?? can anybody say complete type set??image hey everybody, if we don't watch out, russ may turn into a real dyed-in-the-wool coin collector!!!!!!!!!image

    al h.image
  • supercoinsupercoin Posts: 2,323 ✭
    BTW, looks ok to me too... BillJones would know better than me though.

    If I really try to find something wrong with it, there is a little area of lighter discoloration to the left of the date that's weird... can't tell if it's just an artifact of the photo or (gulp) an eraser mark?
    imageLibertarian Party
  • supercoinsupercoin Posts: 2,323 ✭
    keets is pre-stalking me.
    imageLibertarian Party
  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    hey tad

    i just had the same thought when my screen went back to the thread list!!!!! kinda funny, eh'!! fear not, you're safe from here on. i'm almost out the door for work. two more nights and i'm on vacation for three weeks. look out U.S. Coin Forum. i shall rule my keypad------and i'll keep an eye on marshall bear while i'm at it!!!

    al h.image
  • RussRuss Posts: 48,514 ✭✭✭


    << <i>i'm thinking XF-low end AU for wear in the motto and a few light contact marks. >>



    Keets,

    I'm not all that convinced that it's wear, could be a weak strike. I have a PCGS 1865 MS62RB that's a LOT flatter than this 1871.



    << <i>man, what could be next?? >>



    You forgot modern commemorative halves.image

    In any event, I've now had several eMails back and forth with this seller. They've responded almost immediately and in detail to every question. I'm feeling more comfortable with this so, if the price doesn't get stupid, I may take a shot at it.

    You guys rock for information and education!image

    Russ, NCNE
    eBay consignment sales | | Collectibles from Resco CCC
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,272 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You guys mentioned the streaks. Well one of things you notice about Two Cent Pieces is that the copper, the tin and the zinc that were mixed to make the planchets was not always evenly distributed though out the coin. Therefore you will quite often see brassy looking areas on these pieces. Remember this was the 19th century, not the 20th or 21th. The techology was different and like every worker, mint empolyees and the mint itself were not always obcessed with perfection. In fact it was quite the opposite.

    "There's a coin shortage! Get it out as fast you can! Let's get home to the wife and kiddies or maybe the local bar or wench to down a few!" Yes, they drank in the old days - in fact a lot more than we do today.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • keetskeets Posts: 25,351 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yes, they drank in the old days - in fact a lot more than we do today.

    hey, i resemble that remark!!!!!!!!image

    good point about the streaks bill. would you say that could be the same reason for streaks on nickels, especially the silver war issues? i have jefferson's that have that appearance.

    al h.image
  • ToneloverTonelover Posts: 1,554 ✭
    Going from the scan I am quite confident in my belief the coin is cleaned. An original XF is nearly always going to be a much darker brown. I think that there are a lot of hairlines on it that can't be seen in the scan.
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,272 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yes, Keets that's why you see streaks on many of the war nickels including the 1942-P Proof. The coins were made of copper (56%, silver (35%) and manganese (9%), and medals were not always mixed completely. You also quite often see streaks on Shield and Liberty Nickels and sometimes on Buffalo Nickels. The Jefferson Nickels have more uniform metal mixtures.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
  • IrishMikeIrishMike Posts: 7,737 ✭✭✭
    I have had experienc with this seller from yahoo and he has another ebay ID which I wrote down and can't seem to locate. I will post it later if I find it. I purchased a Bust Half from them, all his coins have the same waxy look and the photos all are taken in that green felt background. The half was harshly cleaned, sent it back they apologized. All of his auctions on Yahoo and other Ebay name usually contain the words "collector coin" in them. I'd be very careful. I posted that picture of the bust half some time back.
  • IrishMikeIrishMike Posts: 7,737 ✭✭✭
    I noticed they changed their Yahoo nick to coinarinal.Yahoolink His ID when I bought the bust half was j40d60 as his ID on Ebay, interesting 2 sets of ID's.
  • RussRuss Posts: 48,514 ✭✭✭
    I've decided to take a pass on this one. I've been having quite a few eMails back and forth with this seller, part of the discussion being the nature of their scans. They seem sincere, but their explanation for the strange colors in their auction pics doesn't ring true. Also, when I asked about their newness to eBay, they gave me some weird story about how some years of Two Cent pieces don't sell well on Yahoo so they list them on eBay.

    I'll just be patient and wait for another to come along. Thanks all.image

    Russ, NCNE
    eBay consignment sales | | Collectibles from Resco CCC

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