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opinions on this seated half...looks pretty nice

it's on e-bay and it's not my auction. However, the coin is in Italy but the seller has very good feedback - but a lot of it is from the same buyers. Coin looks like it may have been polished but I can't tell.

opinions?

electro-link

Comments

  • RussRuss Posts: 48,515 ✭✭✭
    Looks polished or whizzed.

    Russ, NCNE
  • I'll go with the flow Russ but it's difficult to see any evidence of whizzing in the fields. Your determining factor?
  • RussRuss Posts: 48,515 ✭✭✭


    << <i>but it's difficult to see any evidence of whizzing in the fields. >>



    Whizzing doesn't always show up as hairlines. Matter of fact, if somebody's good at it, it'll be nearly impossible to see any hairlines at all. The surfaces of the coin sure look worked one way or the other, though.

    Russ, NCNE
  • clw54clw54 Posts: 3,816 ✭✭✭
    It looks too shiny. There is something wrong when a 150 year old coin looks that good on eBay.
  • I'm with you and that's why I'm a little curious about this one. Question: wouldn't the polishing or whizzing take out some of the scuffs, nicks, and dings that you can see in the fields? Wouldn't it tend to "soften" them a bit? The imperfections in the fields appear to be sharp, rather than fuzzy, which I would expect on a polished coin.
  • mr1931Smr1931S Posts: 5,955 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Looks polished or whizzed. The fields don't look all that pristine to me.

    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.-Albert Einstein

  • VicPortlandVicPortland Posts: 282 ✭✭✭
  • VicPortlandVicPortland Posts: 282 ✭✭✭
    oops. Meant to say the coin has definitely been messed with in a very bad way...
  • coinlieutenantcoinlieutenant Posts: 9,305 ✭✭✭✭✭
    While prooflike (half) dollars arent unheard of, they are very rare... I would be very wary.

    That pic doesnt show what is lurking IMO.

    John
  • mozinmozin Posts: 8,755 ✭✭✭
    It is coins like this that make PCGS worthwhile.image
    I collect Capped Bust series by variety in PCGS AU/MS grades.
  • michaelmichael Posts: 9,524 ✭✭
    superb

    i am going to vatican city state tomorrow ....................................................
  • Cam-Slam 2-6-04
    3 "DAMMIT BOYS"
    4 "YOU SUCKS"
    Numerous POTD (But NONE officially recognized)
    Seated Halves are my specialty !
    Seated Half set by date/mm COMPLETE !
    Seated Half set by WB# - 289 down / 31 to go !!!!!
    (1) "Smoebody smack him" from CornCobWipe !
    IN MEMORY OF THE CUOF image
  • lathmachlathmach Posts: 4,720
    Doesn't look whizzed to me, but looks like it's been polished.
    I wouldn't buy something like this unless it were a rare date or rare die variety.
    This 1858 is neither.

    Ray
  • coinguy1coinguy1 Posts: 13,485
    Badly cleaned or polished - a terrible coin, at least compared to the bologna " BU Prooflike surface MS65" the seller has listed.image
  • The photo does not have enough resolution to show whizzing FOR SURE. If you hold it under a light and look for luster, the you could tell. It is suspicious, though, even at this resolution. c
  • mgoodm3mgoodm3 Posts: 17,497 ✭✭✭
    Oooo. shiny.
    coinimaging.com/my photography articles Check out the new macro lens testing section
  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,721 ✭✭✭✭✭
    RUN!! And don't look back!

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • topstuftopstuf Posts: 14,803 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Looks EXACTLY like a seated liberty dollar I rec'd this week .......and...... returned while still at post office.

    No visible hairlines but....... whizzzzzzzzzzzzzed neatly on obv. A real shame as the rev was beautiful.

    image

    MAJOR TPG slabbed as MS. Can't tell ME there's no "market grading." The reverse was superb.


    Edited to remove service name.
  • coinguy1coinguy1 Posts: 13,485


    << <i>No visible hairlines but....... whizzzzzzzzzzzzzed neatly on obv. A real shame as the rev was beautiful.


    NGC slabbed as MS. Can't tell ME there's no "market grading." The reverse was superb.
    >>

    Topstuff, please don't take offense to this, but I'm extremely skeptical of the coin's having been literally "whizzed" and being encapsulated as an MS by NGC.
  • topstuftopstuf Posts: 14,803 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Not offended at all. I won't reveal the numerical grade as I certainly am not...... SURE.....(and the coin will still be for sale) but my 30 years and another dealer's 30 years say "whizzed" on inspection. Even my wife was leery of the obverse. It was completely "skinned" by dipping obviously, but the few nicks and ticks were very subtly "blended" into the field in a very unnatural manner. Add that the stars were haloed with that strange look. Very VERY inconsistent with the surfaces of the reverse.

    As on all grading, mine is an opinion. I had another which was "probably" conserved and the "something" was coming back.

    I can provide a picture of a buff nick I submitted which had the glunk come back after a couple months once I resolve my issue with my ISP who has no "supervisors" on weekends so I have to wait til monday to find out why although "nothing is wrong" my links don't work.

    (see below sig)

  • coinguy1coinguy1 Posts: 13,485


    << <i> It was completely "skinned" by dipping obviously, but the few nicks and ticks were very subtly "blended" into the field in a very unnatural manner. Add that the stars were haloed with that strange look. Very VERY inconsistent with the surfaces of the reverse. >>

    Topstuff, that sounds very much like far-too-many coins that have been "conserved" by NGC.

    I hate that completely unnatural look. I also think many such coins have been graded considerably higher than deserved - a number of them would even be body-bagged by PCGS in my opinion - but, that still sounds different from "whizzed".
  • topstuftopstuf Posts: 14,803 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You're right. I'll retract the word "whizzed."

    But I'm at a loss to come up with a replacement.

    image
  • coinguy1coinguy1 Posts: 13,485


    << <i>You're right. I'll retract the word "whizzed."

    But I'm at a loss to come up with a replacement image >>

    Might I suggest "ruined"? "stripped"? "over-conserved"?image
  • topstuftopstuf Posts: 14,803 ✭✭✭✭✭
    How about.... "Restored?"

    Like a car. It looks good. Better than it did. But NEVER original.

    image

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