What Do Original United States Gold Coins Look Like?
RYK
Posts: 35,796 ✭✭✭✭✭
What Do Original United States Gold Coins Look Like?
Great article on the DWN site for those who are interested in learning how to tell if 19th century US gold coins are original. There are quite a few pearls offered that I have not previously read or been told. I could almost hear ol' Doug talking in my ear while I was reading it.
The blog also shows off my post-FUN newp, as one of the featured coins:
Great article on the DWN site for those who are interested in learning how to tell if 19th century US gold coins are original. There are quite a few pearls offered that I have not previously read or been told. I could almost hear ol' Doug talking in my ear while I was reading it.
The blog also shows off my post-FUN newp, as one of the featured coins:
0
Comments
Thanks.
roadrunner
<< <i>What Do Original United States Gold Coins Look Like?
Great article on the DWN site for those who are interested in learning how to tell if 19th century US gold coins are original. There are quite a few pearls offered that I have not previously read or been told. I could almost hear ol' Doug talking in my ear while I was reading it.
The blog also shows off my post-FUN newp, as one of the featured coins:
RYK......I hate your Steelers, but love your dirty gold!!!!!!!!!
<< <i>Good read, but hard to appreciate "dirty gold" originality from pictures...... >>
I agree. I prefer to appreciate them in my hand.
<< <i>Great column, but I wish he would add a few pictures of some gold that isn't original, and tell me why. >>
Okay, I'll show you one, and yes, I own it.
This 1834, plain 4, Capped Bust half eagle is a bit too bright to be original. The surfaces don't have subdued look of an old gold coin that has accumulated some natural surface oxidation over the years. There is some “cartwheel” luster within the devices as one would expect for a near Mint State coin of this age, but the fields are simply too bright.
Why did I buy this piece knowing that it was not original? The short answer is money. I did not want to spend close to $100,000 for this type which is what it would take to buy a “perfect” one. Also, realizing my resources, I didn’t want spend years looking for the “perfect” one because overall this is a very scarce type coin in any grade. David Bowers estimated in his Guide Book on U. S. Type Coins that there are a total of 475 to 750 examples of this type (1829 to 1834) in existence in all grades. That estimate includes damaged coins and pieces that have had FAR MORE numismatic abuse than this coin. In the past I have turned down pieces that had been worked on far more than this piece that were priced several thousand dollars more.
And here is a piece of the next type that has its original surfaces. Compare the two, and you will see a distinct difference.