New Purchase: 1834 $5 Gold........opinions please. (Just got PCGS grade)

Oney

I also posted this coin last week for opinions. I like old gold, there is something about it the draws you to it.... What are your thoughts on the coin and grade? Should I try to remove the black sudge in the shield before sending to PCGS? Techniques? Left it alone and sent it in to PCGS. Just receive the grade: AU-53!

Prethen

Lightly....try a toothpick or rose thorn to see if you can remove the gunk from the shield.

BigE

Looks really nice and original NCS maybe or do it yourself or leave it alone, I understand you dilemma-=BigE

JrGMan2004

I would leave it as is... such a gorgeous old gold coin, I wouldn't even risk messing it up...

TheRegulator

Whatever you do, don't NCS it- seems like they butcher coins more than they help 'em.

Also, consider what may be beneath the blackness. Look at it closely under a strong loupe and try to determine what it is before you do anything. You can't undo what's been done. It might be best to leave it alone.

Lastly, I don't know much about gold or early gold, but I do know that most pieces seem to lack the original, kinda dull look that this piece has. Looks like a really nice coin.

Oney

Thanks everyone....

RYK

Nice coin. If you try to remove the black dirt from the shield, I will hunt you down and you will die a very painful death. Don't touch it!

(see sigline quote)

TheRaven

I really like that coin alot.....

Personally I would not try and do anything with that black mark, it fits the coin in alot of ways.....

originalisbest

The gunk in the shield actually adds immeasurably to the coin's appeal, for a knowledgeable buyer. Trying to remove it would not be a good idea.

topstuf

It's an AU-50 and should slab even with the gunk.

(from the photo)

Longacre

I like it. I would grade it AU-50. Don't mess with the dirt!

coynclecter

The little spot won't affect the grade. Its used and it's obvious. The only thing you can do is screw it up.

Leave it alone.

BillJones

It's a classic EF-40 coinm, which means it will get into an AU-50 slab these days and be PQ compared to the most of the rest of the stuff that gets those grades. The third party grading services overgrade these coins like crazy, and they don't seem to care if the coin has been "curated" to the point of looking like brass.

Sorry for the tirade, but when one prices and looks for a coin graded AU, one would expect to see a pleasant example. Sadly if you are shopping for Classic Head $5 and $2.50 gold pieces these days, you should prepare yourself for disappointment.

Why do I not grade this piece as a “classic AU?” I don’t see any luster on mint surface on the coin. Natural wear appears to have removed it from the photo. By the way the flat spot over Ms. Liberty’s ear is the usual strike for this type and date, and has only a minor affect on the grade of the piece.

Edited to add - I agree with the others. Leave the dirt. It goes with the coin.

Here's the piece that is in my collection. I grade it AU-55, but it's in an NGC MS-61. I've seen an MS-61 PCGS counterpart, and the state of preservation was the same.

MisterBungle

I like it just the way it is, Brian!!

Send it to me, and I'll send you a VF-35
2003 Lincoln Cent.

If you take the price of the MS-70, figure
the basil state price, and multiply it by 35,
I think you would be happy with the deal!!

What do you say??

mercurydimeguy

My 2 cents on this topic -- leave the coin the way it is. It's nice and original.

For comparison purposes, here's mine. It is in PCGS XF45 plastic (somewhat recent grading...3-4 months ago). Odd, because my coin still has a good deal of luster (in hand) and I think is just a bit weakly struck on the obverse. Nevertheless, I think you'll get an AU50 on your coin if there is still some residual luster...if not, it'll go XF. Between me, myself and I, that's our prediction.

CharlotteDude

That's a nice XF-45 coin, which means it'll PCGS or NGC AU-50 easy today... maybe AU-53 @ NGC. Plueeeezzeee don't NCS it... that will ruin its originality and character. If you want it to look washed out and brassy (ie, abnormally bright, lifeless coloration & ugly), then send it to NCS. Otherwise, I would leave it be... that's a very nice looking coin as is... just say NO to conservation!

Oney

The coin has more lustre than the photo shows. Its in a 2x2 which is white but the photo shows the 2x2 off color.

AlixTCat

<< <i>My on this topic -- leave the coin the way it is. It's nice and original.

For comparison purposes, here's mine. It is in PCGS XF45 plastic (somewhat recent grading...3-4 months ago). Odd, because my coin still has a good deal of luster (in hand) and I think is just a bit weakly struck on the obverse. Nevertheless, I think you'll get an AU50 on your coin if there is still some residual luster...if not, it'll go XF. Between me, myself and I, that's our prediction. >>



Evidently you're stealing images there.

Jonathan

VTCoins

Boy you guys are tough!

Looks AU55 to me.

BillJones

About eight years ago I had a customer give me a want list for one of these coins as a type piece. He wanted a nice EF. Sure enough I went to a Baltimore coin show, and found one in an NGC. The grade was EF-45, and I agreed with it completely. I paid a little over EF bid, and supplied to my customer at my usual 10 to 15 percent mark-up.

Then the grading standards slipped and NCS got into the conservation business. Today it's really hard to find any of these coins properly graded and not messed with to make them shinny. Sadly that’s were the coin business has gone for these coins in less than a decade.

The Classic Head $5 gold is a very scarce type coin is strict Mint State. These coins represented more than a week’s salary for skilled laborer when they were issued and few people could afford to put them away in a collection. Furthermore there were few collectors in the U.S. before 1857 when the U.S. stopped issuing large cents. That action created the first significant group of U.S. collectors.

While the Classic Head $5 is tough in Mint State, coins in VF to AU condition are fairly common. Sadly a lot of those pieces have been gussied up to make them look like Mint State coins to the untrained eye, and many of the nice pieces are now cleaned horrors that don’t cut it with collectors who know quality.

TavernTreasures

The toothpick/thorn answer scares me.

BillJones

<< <i>The toothpick/thorn answer scares me. >>



There is no problem with that. Both items are soft enough that they won't scratch the coin, yet they might remove the crud. The trouble is sometimes you might not be happy with what is under the crud.

tydye

I guess AU-50.
I also vote to leave it as is.

mercurydimeguy

<< <i>
Evidently you're stealing images there.

Jonathan >>



Funny...I've had the emotions in my bookmarks forever. Maybe they've started cracking down?

LincolnCentMan

Looks XF45. I like it. I think a toothpick is your best bet on the gunk. Dont push hard, though.

-David

Oney

Updated with PCGS grade.......

LeeG

Congrat's!! I'd love to own one like it some day!!

NumisOxide

Nice piece.

IRCWCoins

AWESOME™ I need to get one of those.

GoldenEyeNumismatics

AU53 is a grade that is really dislike on all gold coins. Don't get me wrong--coins in that grade are fine--but really I believe most coins are either AU50 or 55.

fc

fun thread. nice job!

BECOKA

At NGC it might go AU55

At PCGS it should go XF40-45 so I am surprised at the AU53 grade based on the below photo.

See the link in my sigline for PCGS examples of each grade.

PCGS just graded this one AU50: