"What a shame!" contest: post a damaged coin that is otherwise really nice

rhedden

I'll start: here's a gorgeous 1806 large cent with XF detail, and a whole bunch of little rim bumps. What a shame! I'm keeping it anyway.

I'll also add that a friend of mine has an 1873-CC Arrows quarter in XF+ (wish I had a picture) that is truly a shame. The obverse is perfectly original, but it has about 10 heavy knife cuts on the reverse. It's a $20,000+ coin that someone used as a carving board. The "CC" mintmark is peeking through a star-shaped window of scratches that basically obliterate the rest of the reverse. It would truly make any Seated collector cry.

Shamika

rhedden,

I think your coin looks pretty good. I thought you'd have something with a huge gash in it.

dthigpen

I don't really considered it damaged, but...

Shamika

dthigpen,

Is that real?

braddick

rhedden

OK, here are a few more that are painful to look at. Top pic: 1794 half dime, AU-58 detail, Net Puke-20. Whoops, there goes about $8,000 off its value. Bottom pic: 1795 half dime. AU detail, net Ouch-40. Another $5k or so down the crapper. I really have to wonder how these coins got this way, but we'll never know.

PerryHall

rhedden---Have you given any thought to having the 1795 professionaly repaired? The damage on that coin looks like it could be easily repaired.

Baley

you've all seen this before... one of my favorite coins, despite the hole

seanq

I can't find a picture of it online, but thre is an original hobo nickel carved by "Bo" (who I guess is a well-known artisan to collectors of hobo nickels) on a 1918/17-D Buffalo. I distinctly remember Coin World picturing it on their cover with the caption, "Oh no, Bo!"

Here's my best effort, a counterstamped 1894 Snow-1 repunched date Indian Cent.




Sean Reynolds

rhedden

Wow, some of these coins are making me cringe. As for the half dimes I posted, I haven't really considered having them repaired. I figure that any further attempt to move metal around is going to just further remove the coind from their original state, so they are best left alone, albeit scratched.

Cladiator

Do I even have to say it anymore Baley?

Baley

Thanks Clad, I know

another one, I figure that a four-figure hole



(which, incidentally, allows it to be affordable )

interestingly, a "piercing" hole, as by a nail, will displace instead of remove metal (as by drilling) so not as much is lost. this metal could possibly be "moved" during a repair, if desired. I like these coins as they are, and wish they could talk.

Baley

rhedden, I think many of your marks are "test marks" as by scratching the surface or biting the edge of the coin in order to verify the silver content. An experienced eye knows the luster of real fresh silver and even if the coin is unfamiliar (as these were way back when our country was young and accostomed to Spanish silver coins) I view these historical "test marks" as less offensive than certain other damage.

Russellhome

This is nothing too exciting, compared to some of the others here. But if it were not for the damage, my collection would not have a 1794 Cent with enough bust detail to enjoy.



I'd read somewhere that this might be a "Kettle Coin" -- stirred around at the bottom of a pot to help keep things from scortching -- and this is likely the cause of having nearly no detail on the reverse of the coin. Does this idea fly or is there some other explanation?

rhedden

I'm going to say that your 1794 cent has a slick reverse due to having had a flat strike when it was originally minted. Several of the Sheldon varieties for the early dates will have one side of the coin more weakly struck than the other. That being said, I have no idea which Sheldon variety you have.

DNADave

Where's lordmarcovan at?

DNADave

DoctorPaper

I've shown this before. It's a 1799 bust dollar in EF/AU condition which also looks to be a possible overstrike on another 1799 dollar or a rotated double strike. Someone Dremel tooled what I think might have been an inscription of some type from in front of the chin and neck, leaving a big depression. Smart!! But otherwise I guess I could never have afforded the coin.

JustGotRipped

I dont have any pics, but my pocket piece is a Peace Dollar I bought on ebay when i first started. It is a 1934-s that would be a nice coin if it werent for the fact that some idiot tooled the reverse. I only paid $40 and thought at the time I had done well. I also use it when i play poker....i love the coin now more than ever

GaCoinGuy

I found an 09s IHC in an old collection I was looking thru that looked alot like that 21 Peace. Not for the damage, it prolly woulda been an AU53 or better.

eyoung429

here are 2 of my submissions.....Buff was given to me by Carl W. and the Cent was given to Carl W. by me.





These are Carl's photo's....heck of a lot better than the original ones I did.

Baley

Rare half dollar, nice but for some scratches



Fortunately, the bust itself was spared the tool. I'll wager these marks are almost as old as the coin itself

Baley

Here's a heartbreaker



No wear, full luster, but.. ooops!
someone gotta be more careful using a screwdriver to pry open that MS63 rattler

now net AU something.. still kinda pretty and a lot of coin for the $ but hurts to look at it