Grade opinions on this Gold $1

TUMUSS

1849-D - Not mine...but I am interested.



Thanks

RYK

These are hard for me to grade. Crusty AU-50. I like the look.

PerryHall

Hard to tell from the pic but it looks a like high end XF or AU. Looks original and a nice addition to your collection.

Longacre

Easily AU-55.

BillJones

The image is a tough one from which to grade. I think I see luster around "United States" but I can't fully make out everything about the surfaces.

Off the top of my head, from what I can see, perhaps EF-45. But I would not pay EF-45 money based on this picture. I just can't see enough to commit that kind of money.

mozin

Looks XF40 to me. I do not care for the coin. Sorry.

LanLord

Gotta D mintmark, and it didn't come from Colorado... So I like it.

ms70

XF40. I like it.

TUMUSS

Thanks for your opinions guys I also say around XF-40 to XF-45. Unfortunately, it is in a NGC 55 holder

291fifth

XF45. Nice original coin.

BillJones

<< <i>Thanks for your opinions guys I also say around XF-40 to XF-45. Unfortunately, it is in a NGC 55 holder >>



Not surprising. A great many C and D mint coins are overgraded in their holders. If I could see the coin in person I might see an AU-50, but not more. I'd have see how much of the flatness in the curls is due to strike.

AND PS - there are not a lot of D mint coins around that you will like. Many of them were not well made, and almost all were not lovingly preserved, at least not in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Here's the representative piece from my collection. It's in a PCGS AU-58 holder.

RYK

You have to remember, the 1849-D Type I gold dollars were among the worst struck from the Dahlonega mint.

Longacre

Do I win the coin as a prize? I think I have this TPG overgrading thing down pat.

BillJones

<< <i>You have to remember, the 1849-D Type I gold dollars were among the worst struck from the Dahlonega mint. >>



Which is why I'd have to see it in person to judge the flatness of the curls on the obverse. Is it all wear, or is it part wear and part strike. Only a personal review of the coin can determine that.

RYK

I agree, BJ. I was using the radial lines of the stars to help me, but nothing compares to looking in person. I do not think that any current professional grading service would call that coin XF.

Longacre

When I saw it was a "D", I immediately inflated my initial impression. Had I known it was an NGC coin, I would have said AU-58.

BillJones

Yes, I think that they could call that coin EF. I could call that coin EF.

It all depends upon amount and originality of the luster in the fields. You can't grade coins like this by sharpness alone. That's not say that a better struck example in the same grade might be worth more.

Confused? That's how it is with 19th century material where strke can be as important as wear.

FatMan

Looks like variety 1-A, the first of the gold dollars minted at Dahlonega. But I would need to see a larger reverse to be sure. The 1-A was poorly produced so the tendency is to undergrade it. In fact, US Mint Director Patterson sent a message to Dahlonega that his samples were unacceptable. But Dahlonega had already remedied the situation with a new die pair, which resulted in variety 1-B.

Looks like a nice original AU50 to me. As for what the grading companies will / or have graded it, I don't have a clue. They are all over the place with D mint gold.