My first "Real Coin."

CoinOnTheCob · January 3, 2005 12:15PM

Oh, Boy! Look what came in the mail today. I feel like this is my first real coin. (The white marks are from the dirty glass on my scanner.) I love this coin. If anyone can tell anything that’s “off” from the pictures, please let me know.

Thanks, guys.
Dennis

ms70 · January 3, 2005 12:18PM

Well if this is your first "real" coin, then you certainly started off big time! Congrats!

coinbuf · January 3, 2005 12:40PM

What TPG holder? NGC?

BTW a very nice coin.

Chris

tgilliams · January 3, 2005 12:48PM

one of the 20th century rarity. very nice condition and eye-appeal

CoinOnTheCob · January 3, 2005 12:50PM

No holder. It's raw. I just plopped it down on my scanner to get this image. I will probably try and have it slabbed, though. Reading these threads I gather that the turn-around time is slow. I might wait until after PCGS catches up.

Hedger · January 3, 2005 1:02PM

I would definitly have it slabbed. The only thing that concerns me is the abbreviation next to the V (looks high) but may be normal. It's a very nice example and high grade.

mr1931S · January 3, 2005 1:32PM

V.D.B. looks good. Check the upper loop of the "S" for die chip (curve of loop is broken) and there should be a notch in the right serif. Can't tell if these things are there from the picture.

aknow · January 3, 2005 1:33PM

Really nice coin!
Dr. Steve

whohah · January 3, 2005 1:46PM

Pu-r-r-r-r-r-r-t-a-y!!!!

Looks like a 4-bagger home run to me!

A first-year strike from a die made from a new hub sure makes 'spagetti-hair' look bad, doesn't it...

haletj · January 3, 2005 1:58PM

Cool! My first coin over $400 was also an 09-s vdb!

Cam40 · January 3, 2005 4:26PM

nice looking coin
but...personally i,d want assurances with a purchase like that.
key date coins of that caliber really need to be authenticated
or your making a big gamble if your not 100% sure you
know the coin is the real deal.

that is, if i was buying a coin like that.

or if it was willed or was a gift, i,d be happy with it raw i guess,
or in a good airtite holder atleast.

relayer · January 3, 2005 4:40PM

Nice key coin

jonesy · January 3, 2005 6:44PM

Nice pick up. I'm gonna get one of those smoeday.

CoinOnTheCob · January 4, 2005 1:43AM

Cam40,
I agree with you. I even said so on eBay’s “Community” message board. This 1909-S V.D.B. was a bonus coin that came with a lot that I bought from eBay. I bought three lots. The other two bonus coins were a 1912-S in fine condition, and 1909-S (NOT V.D.B.) in G-4 condition. But, If I were to buy a 1909-S V.D.B., I would buy it slabbed. I do not yet know enough about grading to make a call. I am getting pretty good at grading AU and lower. (I think this coin is AU) I don’t have any idea how to grade MS or better.
Dennis

Russ · January 4, 2005 1:47AM

<< This 1909-S V.D.B. was a bonus coin that came with a lot that I bought from eBay. >>

WHOAH! You aren't talking about one of those unsearched wheatie lots are you?

Russ, NCNE

CoinOnTheCob · January 4, 2005 1:58AM

Russ,
It was an unsearched coin lot. Not just wheats. I have bought some of those wheat lots before. I am trying to expose myself to a great many coins in a great many grades. Eventually I will repackage the coins into half-pound lots and resell them; not cherry picked either. I will leave the good coins in there. Not the V.D.B of course. Lol.
This was the auction.

Russ · January 4, 2005 2:13AM

Okay, now I don't know that much about the diagnostics for the 1909-S VDB, but I think that one is real. Man, you need to buy a lotto ticket before this luck wears off!

Russ, NCNE

Russ · January 4, 2005 2:19AM

<< 1 of the 100 bags will contain this gorgeous BU 1909-S VDB! >>

I wonder who got that one? He says somebody got the VF example, so that leaves the above "BU" example. Yours doesn't appear to be the same coin. Or, maybe it is and it's just the imaging?

Russ, NCNE

JrGMan2004 · January 4, 2005 2:25AM

The VF Example was ANACS Slabbed, Russ... and stated in the auction that it was already claimed, and the BU was not...

pharmer · January 4, 2005 2:27AM

What does "the key coins are being pulled randomly froma bankbag" mean?

Did you thank him in your feedback for this coin? Don't see anything with lots of A+'s and kissies

Shamika · January 4, 2005 2:27AM

The coin looks like it's been cleaned and recolored, plus I'd like to see a closeup of the mint mark.

That said, the coin appears to be mint state and if it's genuine you hit the jack pot!

CoinOnTheCob · January 4, 2005 2:30AM

Russ,
I'm sure that it is. Remember, all I have to take pictures of coins is a scanner with a dirty glass. When I bid on these three lots I saw that the BU coin hadn’t been sent yet. They still had it. They only had three lots left so I bid on all three thinking they would appreciate someone dropping two grand on their auction. The biggest reason I bought these three lots was because of this coin. Plus, it gave me 9,000 coins to practice my grading. ugh

Russ · January 4, 2005 2:31AM

<< The VF Example was ANACS Slabbed, Russ... and stated in the auction that it was already claimed, and the BU was not... >>

Uh, that's what I just said.

Russ, NCNE

Shamika · January 4, 2005 2:31AM

<< Plus, it gave me 9,000 coins to practice my grading. >>

Oh my!

pharmer · January 4, 2005 2:38AM

<< Cam40,
I agree with you. I even said so on eBay’s “Community” message board. This 1909-S V.D.B. was a bonus coin that came with a lot that I bought from eBay. I bought three lots. The other two bonus coins were a 1912-S in fine condition, and 1909-S (NOT V.D.B.) in G-4 condition. But, If I were to buy a 1909-S V.D.B., I would buy it slabbed. I do not yet know enough about grading to make a call. I am getting pretty good at grading AU and lower. (I think this coin is AU) I don’t have any idea how to grade MS or better.
Dennis >>

I'm no expert, but I bet this coin is worth more than the three lots. What a score!

CoinOnTheCob · January 4, 2005 2:40AM

Shamika,
Whether or not the coin had been cleaned was exactly what I was wondering. I would look at Russ’ photo, though because my photo doesn’t look that good. Russ took the photo right from the auction and the coin looks like that. My image looks like I need a camera.

Pharmer,
I did leave feedback. My name is Dennis Moncrief. And the, “… pulled at random from a bank bag …” thing was to describe that they were treating the bonus coins like a grab bag; pulling one for each lot without bias. I am also guessing that this coin is worth somewhere between $1,300.00 and $1,500.00 conservatively. And that is only AFTER I get is slabbed.

pharmer · January 4, 2005 2:49AM

"I nearly kissed the UPS guy." Hey Dennis, we have underage rat icons here. Why, did you know when he delivered the lot?

CoinOnTheCob · January 4, 2005 2:51AM

UPS Tracking. Although I did not know that the V.D.B. coin was in there. I used creative license in my feedback. lol.

zenny · January 4, 2005 2:57AM

interesting strategy for purchasing a "first real coin............"

CoinOnTheCob · January 4, 2005 3:03AM

Zenny,
I figured it was a wash. I knew that there would be other bonus coins if I didn’t get the V.D.B. in addition to the 9,000 coins that I was actually bidding on.

zenny · January 4, 2005 3:05AM

to each his own, congrats on the s-vdb.

Shamika · January 4, 2005 3:11AM

CoinOnTheCob,

Russ's image of the coin does not give me any more confidence regarding the likelihood that the coin is problem free. However, even if you assume the coin HAS been played with, ANACS will give it a net grade which will still mean a major score for you. All of this assumes the mint mark has not been added of course.

Congrats!

mr1931S · January 4, 2005 3:15AM

"if it's genuine you hit the jack pot!"

Indeed, you did. Another word of caution is in order, however. This variety has been perhaps the most heavily forged of all U.S. coins, bar none. Some of the forgeries are die-struck, superbly made and defy detection, even by experts, as not genuine.

Not trying to rain on your parade but you should definitely send to TPG service and get authenticated. If you do get this coin certified please let us all know here.

CoinOnTheCob · January 6, 2005 1:43PM

Shamika,
When I get back home I will take a scan of the obverse at a high resolution and crop just the date and mint mark. I am up in Crescent City, CA right now and I have to go to Mesa, AZ. I will be back, hopefully, on Monday the 17th. I appreciate all of the help I am getting on this one.

Mr1874,
I am definitely getting it slabbed and I will let you know if I have been scammed or not.
Dennis

Shamika · January 6, 2005 1:47PM

Dennis,

Did you happen to notice the die struck counterfiet 1909-S VDB that Russ posted yesterday? It was scarey real looking! You may want to find it again.

Coppernicus · January 6, 2005 3:11PM

From the scans, it looks good to me. Check the "S" MM for a filled upper loop and make sure the MM is sitting in a slight depression (I can't tell from the pic). The period after the V on the reverse that was mentioned before looks OK to me - it should be a bit high.

I'd recommend ANACS for authentication (and net grading, if it's called for)

Nice snag!!!

Mike

Oh, and BTW, for getting this in a lot of "unsearched".......YOU SUCK!!

dorkkarl · January 6, 2005 8:38PM

it looks like the REAL DEAL to me, a genuine coin. i think it's something you'll be very proud of for a long time.

my opinion - ms-64.

CONGRATS!!!

K S

Dog97 · January 6, 2005 11:57PM

<<<If anyone can tell anything that’s “off” from the pictures, please let me know.>>>
Yeah it looks good, CoC. Looks perfect. Actually it looks too good. I want to see the defects! Like the gouge by the rim in TRUST, the chip in LIBERTY & the mm, and the slanted crossbar in VDB.
The seller said he's throw in a 09-s-vdb but I don't guess he said it would necessarily be an authentic one huh?

kieferscoins · January 7, 2005 12:01AM

<< WHOAH! You aren't talking about one of those unsearched wheatie lots are you? >>

It would be ironic if the seller was luckoftheirish

Cameron Kiefer

pharmer · January 7, 2005 12:07AM

Yeah, what a great seller. You essentially got it for free, since you say he had three lots left, you thought he would appreciate someone plucking down that much, and you were right. He said, "I'll just throw this BU s-vdb in, since by coincidence it's still sitting here at the end of all the lots being sold"...Happens every day, especially on ebay. Sort of restores your faith.

CoinOnTheCob · January 7, 2005 7:01AM

Pharmer,
I was wondering about them saying that the BU coin had gone to another customer and just keeping the dang thing. They included a little note in with the coin asking me to let others know in my feedback that I had received the coin to let others know that they are honest.
After reading many of your posts, I am going to reexamine the coin looking for the things that you had suggested; the mint mark, the slant bar in the “B” in the “V.D.B.”, etc. The coin is home in my safe, so I can't look at it untill Monday after next. (My wife is still home if there are any safe crackers out there.)
Dennis

CoinOnTheCob · January 11, 2005 4:19AM

I made it home early. Since all I have to work with is a scanner, I don’t think these images are going to help anybody. Even if you “Save Picture As …” and reopen it in paint or something. I think the images degrade pretty rapidly with enlargement.
Shamika, this is the best I can do right now. (Dang, I need a camera.) You also mentioned ANACS. Is PCGS not a good idea? I take it that ANACS will not body-bag it even if it is a fake, but grade it as a fake. I am fairly certain that the coin is real. My biggest fear is that it has been cleaned.
Mint Mark
V.D.B.

kieferscoins · January 11, 2005 4:25AM

ANACS will not slab a fake.

Cameron Kiefer

NumisOxide · January 11, 2005 4:26AM

ANACS does not grade or encapsulate non-genuine pieces or coins.

CoinOnTheCob · January 11, 2005 4:28AM

What I was asking, is there any benefit to submitting to ANACS rather than PCGS?

NumisOxide · January 11, 2005 4:36AM

Yes , there is a benefit sending it to be graded at ANACS because they will slab it and grade it even if it was cleaned. All they would do is put a net grade on it.

Gonfunko · January 11, 2005 4:40AM

<< What I was asking, is there any benefit to submitting to ANACS rather than PCGS? >>

Yes, there are benfits to submitting to ANACS. They cost less, have much faster turn-around times, will "net-grade" problem coins (such as those that have been cleaned) are a respected grading service, and are very good at detecting counterfeits.

My first "Real Coin."

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My first &quot;Real Coin.&quot;

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My first "Real Coin."