Another Dollar Question....1878-CC

JamesW

I purchased this coin a while back, about 2 years ago, from a dealer in Arizona. I was told it should grade MS-63.
I hadn't shown it to anybody that knows coins until recently and was shocked when I was told that it had been cleaned.

What do you all think? Grade? Cleaned?
What is it worth if it is cleaned?

Hopefully this scan is good enough to tell.

paigowjohnny

Very hard to tell from the picture....may be dipped too much (which would result in diminished luster and not much contrast between the field and the devices).....no sign of hairlines, but again hard to tell from the picture...

Looks like another Coast to Coast "gem"

MadMonk

<< <i>Looks like another Coast to Coast "gem" >>



Hee Hee, I called one time on a silver dollar I bought. I said this coin looks dipped. The Customer rep said, "yea, they put them in that blue stuff"

gsaguy

Based on the scan, that coin looks not only 'cleaned', but polished.

Sorry.

GSAGUY

poptopsRus

Hard to tell from the pic but it does seem to be missing luster.

JamesW

Sometimes the truth hurts...for us beginners.

This was my supposedly great deal at $50.

Stuart

JamesW: I strongly suggest that you attend some local coin shows in your area, and look at alot of coins in certified graded slabs to get familiar with what an uncirculated coin, an AU Coin, and lesser grades look like before purchasing any coins, especially before purchasing any more raw (non-certified & slabbed) coins.

Perhaps if you care to share what city you live in with us, some local forum member(s) can take you under their wing and recommend some honest coin dealers and coin shops for you to start with.

We've all been beginners before, and we've all made our share of purchasing mistakes. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and not to repeat them...

to the boards!!

paigowjohnny

James...I'm still digging out from buying raw Morgans from the big mail order guys. There's absolutely nothing wrong with buying raw coins...nothing thrills me more coin wise then finding a truly nice raw Morgan...but the advice to read a few grading books and look at a lot coins can't be beat. You're eye will get sharper as you go along. Takes some time and patience, but well worth it.

hookedoncoins

Just consider any money lost on the coin as learning experience. When I started collecting coins, I bought many cleaned coins. As Stuart stated, the more coins you view, the better your eye will be trained look for cleaning/damage/etc.

BigAl

James,

Judging strictly by the pic, I'd also agree that the coin was probably polished.

However, I don't think you did too bad for $50. You'll probably get at least that much on Ebay however, I'd recommend sending it to ANACS for a net grade (they'll tell you whether or not the coin's cleaned). It will probably come back Unc. Details Net AU 55--or something similar. If so, and you no longer want it in your collection, sell it on ebay, the BST board, or at a show. There's still a market for that coin, especially in an ANACS slab. Bid/Ask for an AU 78-cc is somewhere around $80/$90.

coinkat

welcome:

unfortunately, the coin has problems...it would get a body bag and not be graded by PCGS or NGC. You should not let one experience like this turn your opinion against the hobby. Attend shows and ask other collectors their thoughts about coins that you may be interested in purchasing. Most collectors like talking about coins. Also, there are dealers who want collector clients for life and not just a single transaction. Until you feel comfortable grading, slabbed coins are a reasonable way to buy coins. Have fun and I can not think of a collector who has not made some mistakes along the way.

Dog97

The fields show dark in the pict which says it has a shiny mirrorlike surface which = cleaned in real life. Probably polished with a jewelry cloth or something similiar.