Thoughts on this Isabella

JxnBoy

All the pics of the other Isabella's got me to thinking about mine. What are your thoughts on this? Ever been dipped? What do you think it grades?

It's in a PCGS holder, so I was more or less comfortable with the purchase since I was exactly sure how to grade these. Sure looks like original surfaces to me, but I'm curious as to what other think.

lordmarcovan

Dunno if it is dipped or not. If it was, it was a long time ago. It's interesting how the toning is hiding in the crevices while the fields are clean, but I suppose a light circulation "rub" could've disturbed the toning. It looks OK to me. But I am lousy at spotting old cleanings (mostly because I don't much care- unless the cleaning is harsh or obvious).

As to eye appeal, I personally would rate it neutral. It has both positive and negative attributes to my eye. I have a hunch there is some luster that I'm not seeing in the pictures.

(Positive: luster and surfaces. Negative: color and splotchiness of toning.)

lordmarcovan

Oh. This was a "guess the grade"?

Geez. I might be out of my depth, here, but I'll go out on a limb and say AU53. Or AU55. Can't decide. How far off am I, I wonder.

I've never had an Isabella quarter. Would love to find a holed one for my vest.

tmot99

I'm guessing AU55. I'm not seeing much luster, but it almost appears that there is some. I also do not like the toning.

mgoodm3

fine looking coin to me. Is that rub on the hip? maybe AU. How's the copystand working?

JxnBoy

The copy stand is working beautifully, thank you. I have a little bit of problems capturing the color accurately, but I'm quite sure that's my lighting. But the problem of blurry photos is now a thing of the past. I can easily snap 20 or 30 pics and determine which look best. I'm thinking about getting a couple desk lamps and some reveal bulbs. Right now I just use a utility-type light with a regular incandescent clamped somewhere on the desk. I think I need two lights.

nwcs

My guess is AU 55 lightly cleaned but not dipped.

Iwog

It's impossible to tell if this coin was ever dipped in the past. After it aquired toning, it was handled causing the unprotected areas to lose luster and become gray. It's an easy AU.

ccex

I have an ANACS AU-58 Isabella quarter which was probably dipped, but which I think was graded correctly. This Isabella is tough for me to grade from the scan, but I would also call it AU-58. Yours has a slightly better strike than mine, fewer marks, but I can't tell the luster from your picture. The lady's hip might be rub, and the toning is strange.

dorkkarl

cleaned, but i'd still go au-55

this is 1 of the most frequently cleaned coins ever made, so don't be too disappointed.

K S

JxnBoy

It is interesting that a few people say it looks cleaned. I guess it's possible. There's a tiny bit of hairlining in the field in front of Isabella, but I never thought it was from a cleaning. If cleaned, it certainly was done very lightly.

It's in a PCGS AU58 holder. I have actually always liked the look of it, since the uneven toning gives it a rather natural, original look. There is just a little bit of rub, so I think the technical grade of 58 is right, but as some have pointed out, the eye appeal of the splotchy toning may knock it to a 55 by some graders.

Who knows. I like it, and that's all that really matters. As the MS63 and better examples go higher and higher, this piece for me is getting more difficult to upgrade.

mojorizn

The toning is great on that coin in my opinion. I don't think you will see a finer AU58 and the touch of rub still doesn't take away from the fact that it looks MS63 at first glance, which is way more money than what you probably paid for this.

Great coin!

mojo