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1858 Half Dollar What do you think?

DRGDRG Posts: 817 ✭
in U.S. Coin Forum
Saw this on eBay and thought I would take a chance. I have not received the coin yet but was wondering what the boards opinion would be.


EBAY 1858 Half Dollar I won.

I will let you know what I think when I have it in hand and again if/when I send it into PCGS what the final grade is.
(PAST) OWNER #1 SBA$ REGISTRY COLLECTOIN

Comments

  • K6AZK6AZ Posts: 9,295 ✭
    That coin doesn't look right to me. The image has been severely manipulated.
  • PrethenPrethen Posts: 3,452 ✭✭✭
    Post the picture in the thread, if possible (not just the link).
  • K6AZK6AZ Posts: 9,295 ✭
    image
    image
  • PrethenPrethen Posts: 3,452 ✭✭✭
    What makes you think the picture is seriously manipulated? Can you point out some areas? At a minimum the coin has been dipped, but without a better picture I can't tell if it has been overdipped. At worst, it might have been lightly polished. Otherwise, the detail on the coin is pretty nice and would be interesting to see in-hand.
  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 33,970 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The coin has been cleaned pretty heavily. No natural silver coin that is almost 150 years old is going to look like that.

    It may be that the cleaning is "commercially acceptable," but I'd be concerned that the coin is raw. $539.99 is a less than MS-63 wholesale money for the coin, which should be a bit of a warning sign.
    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 ... ?
  • vega1vega1 Posts: 941 ✭
    It does look strange, but that could just be due to the pictures. I will say that IMO you have some pretty serious brass ones to buy a coin that expensive raw based on those pictures. You are much braver than I am.image If all is on the level that looks to be a nice coin.
  • K6AZK6AZ Posts: 9,295 ✭


    << <i>What makes you think the picture is seriously manipulated? Can you point out some areas? At a minimum the coin has been dipped, but without a better picture I can't tell if it has been overdipped. At worst, it might have been lightly polished. Otherwise, the detail on the coin is pretty nice and would be interesting to see in-hand. >>



    Well, for starters the area surrounding the lower stars on the left.

    As Bill pointed out, this coin just doesn't look right for a coin from this era, and almost always there is a reason it isn't in a respectable holder.
  • mirabelamirabela Posts: 5,014 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I recognize the look in the pictures from some toying with photoshop I've done myself -- I forget the name of the effect, "soften" or something like that. The fields likely have a lot more disturbances than you are seeing, and possibly (here's what you don't want) a bunch of hairlining. That area around the crook of her left elbow seems to have been blurred or something, too. Good luck -- it might be a nice piece, or it might not...
    mirabela
  • raysrays Posts: 2,373 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It looks funny. Let's see what happens when you get it. I don't see any return privledge. I guess you did "take a chance"
  • DRGDRG Posts: 817 ✭
    Thanks for the opinions. I know I am taking a chance, but the price seemed OK. I put in a high snipe when the coin was sitting at $275. All the bids were in the last few seconds and it went higher then I expected.

    I am sure the coin has been dipped, but I do not see evidence of harsh cleaning. I am not sure about the photo but the details look very sharp.

    It is obviously a gamble......but I don't live in Las Vegas by accident.


    Who wants to go on record with a grade?

    It will be fun to see what PCGS has to say in comparison.
    (PAST) OWNER #1 SBA$ REGISTRY COLLECTOIN
  • calgolddivercalgolddiver Posts: 1,459 ✭✭✭✭✭
    the image has a 99% certainty (there's always a possibility otherwise) of being manipulated and softened given photoshop capabilities - the right elbow and forearm all the way to the hand, possibly the field to the left of the stars, possibly left field to the beak and wing on reverse. ... good luck.
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  • K6AZK6AZ Posts: 9,295 ✭
    No grade - cleaning.
  • MyqqyMyqqy Posts: 9,777 ✭
    When I first saw the image, I thought you had purchased the half from ebay seller scardinal- his images look a lot like these......
    As some of the others have stated, the area by her elbow and the area left of the eagle look pretty manipulated- and the thing is way too white in general.
    I'm with K6AZ- no grade.
    My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable !
  • rheddenrhedden Posts: 6,626 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That coin would be slabbed if it could be slabbed. Probably either bodybagged or broken out of an NCS or ANACS net grade slab.
  • DRGDRG Posts: 817 ✭
    I am rather concerned about the "body bag" but am going to be optimistic until I have the coin in hand.

    Did you notice that the seller mostly is selling original magazines from the turn of the century. I know it doesn't mean much, but he is not primarily a coin dealer. Also looking over his feedback, he has positives from selling other nice looking raw coins (and has never been neg'd)...... I will let you know when I have the coin in hand.
    (PAST) OWNER #1 SBA$ REGISTRY COLLECTOIN
  • coinguy1coinguy1 Posts: 13,484 ✭✭✭
    The coin looks to have been harshly cleaned or whizzed if the images are accurate. There is no sign of original looking mint luster on the surfaces.

    Sadly, I think the price paid was a bad deal, as the coin would have to grade 60+ to make it worth the price, and I think a body-bag is a much greater probability.
  • poorguypoorguy Posts: 4,317 ✭
    It appears as though the seller used the "Dust and Scratches" filter which lightly blurred it and then tried to use the "Unsharp Mask" to sharpen back up the image.



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  • MercMerc Posts: 1,646 ✭✭
    As many have said, somthing looks very wrong with that coin. There are no die flow lines in the fields. Then there is a large disturbed area in the field by the eagle's beak. It is most likely a whizzed coin
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  • dthigpendthigpen Posts: 3,932 ✭✭
    Looks like a great Whizz job.
    Mr. Thigpen

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  • tsacchtsacch Posts: 2,929 ✭✭✭
    Over dipped and fine polishing. Get us some good pics when you recieve the coin....please
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  • roadrunnerroadrunner Posts: 28,303 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Considering that an MS63 goes for around $650-750 you can bet it's not that. MS62's are worth $400-600, a wide range. Very unlikely the coin would grade even MS62. While there does seem to be some real orig luster in the upper drapery folds, there are major luster breaks in the right obv field and the entire upper left rev field.

    I don't think the coin's been whizzed but maybe just poor photography. I don't like the fact that there is what appears to be rubbing on the eagle's lower neck feathers and the left side claw/knuckles look flattened as does the head, branch tip, etc.
    Reverse could therefore have been polished, harshly cleaned, or just be an AU58.

    Considering one can get a nice MS62 in a slab for no more money, buying raw on ebay takes real kahunas.

    roadrunner
    Barbarous Relic No More, LSCC -GoldSeek--shadow stats--SafeHaven--321gold
  • MyqqyMyqqy Posts: 9,777 ✭
    Considering one can get a nice MS62 in a slab for no more money, buying raw on ebay takes real kahunas.

    That's the truth.....
    My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable !
  • CoinResourceCoinResource Posts: 1,113
    Looks like the contrast has been bumped up, possibly posterized... or their scanner just scans at theat level of contrast... cm
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