Classic Head Half Cent Guess the Grade (pics inside) -- SEE GRADE IN THREAD

MrScience

As a YN about thirty years ago, I found this 1809 half cent in a cigar box in my grandmother's basement. It immediately became one of my favorites. Some of the weird coloration is perhaps due to this less-than-ideal environment, and also to my less-than-perfect imaging skills! It resided in a 2x2 until last fall, when I submitted it to ANACS. Care to guess the grade? I'll post it in 24 hours or less.



Enjoy!

John

relayer

VF-35

wam98

EF-40 net VF-35 for e-damage and cleaning. Just my opinion. Still a nice old half cent.

edit to add: nice photo and there looks like something under the date.

lordmarcovan

I'd have said VF-something but it looks softly struck to me, so I wouldn't be surprised to hear it went EF-something or even AU50. Net grade? I don't think so, but I've been wrong before.

Purple73

Is that a cud at k-3 or would that be damage?

ms70

XF40

mgoodm3

VF30

OnlyBuffalos

Looks like VF20. A nice half cent.

Photos are nice also.

relayer

What did ANACS say?

DNADave

The green corrosion on the reverse would concern me.

Baley

My first impression is EF40 but would not be surprised at 45 or 35. Would be surprised at anything higher or lower.

MrScience

At last, here is the ANACS grade:

AU DETAILS NET EF 45 ROTATED DIES - CLEANED.

I always had this pegged for an EF45, but the weak strike, especially on the left hand side of the observe, is evidently partly responsible. I don't see the cleaning -- I know that I haven't cleaned it in thirty years or more. I do see some striations that could be planchet flaws (?). I also see lots of interesting colors, including some original reds and some cool steel blues. I presume that these colors are not evidence for cleaning.

Purple73 -- now that you mention it, that could be a cud. While it is hard to get a good look at the coin inside its plastic tomb, that area does appear to be raised. Guess I should have paid to have the dies attributed.

DNADave -- green crud scares me too, but I think (hope) that this is verdigris. After all, ANACS slabbed it, right?

Thanks to all for playing! Cheers,

John

DoctorPaper

Your half cent is a Cohen 6, which is a rarity 1 (common) variety. However, the cud at K3 which you've noticed, makes it a Manley die state 2.0, which is said to be "very scarce" by Manley whose written THE book on half cent die states. (Half cent collectors have gotten so tired of waiting to acquire new Cohen varieties, that some are now collecting by state of the dies when a coin was struck. Some Cohen varieties have a dozen collectible and distinct Manley die states.) Isn't there some saying about "fleas having fleas?"

MrScience

DoctorPaper, thank you for this insight!