Guess the Grade: 1851-O Three Cent Silver version... (grade revealed)

illini420

I have a really really hard time grading these, let's see what you guys think about this one:





NO CHEATING if you already know the answer!!!!!!!!!

stealer

VF30?

I'm a blind pig in grading this series.

Crusoe

VF-20

I have no experience with this series, but I really like the 1851 O issue.

Nice Piece!

Cam40

F-18 ?
I havn`t studied that series in awhile

STONE

Solid 25

Swampboy

VF-25.


...

TomB

My first impression is that the coin would have gone the "environmental damage" route instead of a straight grade.

DAM

40

Batman23

I have no experiance with these but I would guess VF25 based on general detail.

LogPotato

<< <i>My first impression is that the coin would have gone the "environmental damage" route instead of a straight grade. >>



I agree, although if it was given a straight grade, I would guess VF20.

SamByrd

vf30

relicsncoins

<< <i>My first impression is that the coin would have gone the "environmental damage" route instead of a straight grade. >>



My thought as well.

HoledandCreative

F details.

rec78

<< <i>I have a really really hard time grading these, let's see what you guys think about this one:





NO CHEATING if you already know the answer!!!!!!!!!

>>



Me too-VF-35 is my guess. You have grades all over the board from f-ef.

illini420

<< <i>
Me too-VF-35 is my guess. You have grades all over the board from f-ef. >>



Was expecting some variation in the grades, but that's quite the range...

I'll give the morning crowd a chance to play before revealing the answer

fcloud

30

ziggy29

<< <i>Was expecting some variation in the grades, but that's quite the range... >>

These are some of the toughest coins to grade out there, at least to me...

I was thinking VF-20 details, give or take.

291fifth

VF20 with unattractive toning.

lordmarcovan

VF...ish.

I'm lukewarm about the toning on this piece but love the little "O" on there. The one-and-only mintmarked trime has carried a mystique for me for some time. I've not yet owned one.

Despite the less than stellar toning, I do not dislike this coin. It's all right.

Walkerguy21D

My grade - Genuine, VF Details.
Guessing NGC straight graded it VF25

illini420

Thanks for the guesses... here's the Teletrade photo of the slab:



I'm not really in love with the toning on the coin, but I don't hate it either. I just really like 1851-O three cent pieces so I'm always looking for them. Like I said, I have a hard time grading these coins, but when I first saw this auction I immediately felt the coin looked undergraded by at least a couple of grades. Based on most of the guesses it seems I'm not the only one. Perhaps a gold sticker will be on this one someday

Thanks again

STONE

The thing about 3cS's is that they don't have as much intricate detail providing a large variation of differential wear patters,
as seen on most other series. In essence, I would call this series one of the most difficult series to grade, up there with the
incuse Indian Quarter and Half-Eagles. IMO, non-numeric grades of PR, FR, AG, G, VG, F, VF, EF, AU, MS should be used.

Honestly, I don't think anyone can show you the difference between a VF-20 and a VF-25 with absolute confidence.

I still think that piece is/was undergraded, so nice snag

telephoto1

I like the coin and think VF minimum if not nicer. The dies for these things had so much die clash damage that I'm amazed any of them looked nice.

WinPitcher

I thought it was VF myself.

rec78

F12 is too low. I think you can easily sell it for vf+ money. Most three cent silvers in grades lower than vf/xf have some sort of damage or are bent or scratched or something else. I am in the middle of the road also on this one. If I needed a circulated one I certainly would buy it. It is both attractive and unattractive at the same time-if that is possible. These 3 cent silvers are just not very attactive in grades below xf in most cases. PCGS probably will not grade it. I do like it. JMO-Bob

lordmarcovan

Yeah, I think it's a low-end VF, and I could overlook the funky toning.

Perhaps the toning and the low NGC grade scared some potential competitors off and helped you get it at a friendlier price, though.

So it's all good, I guess.

claychaser

That "funky" toning that Lord M refers to is funkengroovin! (LOL!). I believe that the 75% silver alow contributes to the often seen splotchinesss on these coins.

That is a cool date, and I like to put it into my obverse MM type set, although technically the MM is on the "reverse" of these strange rascals.

Kove

I was watching this one on TT as I too like the 1851-O 3CS. I almost threw in a bid, but saw it moving up at the end. But it went to a good home with illini.

My impression on the coin was that it has the details of a VF, but was net-graded down to F12 due to the appearance that borders on environmental damage (especially around the 10 o'clock point on the star).

lordmarcovan

Funkengroovin. Hm. Izzat anything like Fahrvergnügen?

Yeah, you have a point. I tend to forget that these were only .750 fine. Just like War nickels (.350 fine) tend to have funkier toning, I guess that could also be the issue with these, under certain conditions.

seanq

Here's mine, I wish it was toned, instead it's stripped. The seller called this coin Au and like the others inthis thread, I don't know enough about grading these to disagree.




Sean Reynolds

steveben

wow, i think it's much higher than a 12. i was going to guess 35. i agree with lordm...i like the mint mark. cool coin!

lordmarcovan

<< <i>Here's mine, I wish it was toned, instead it's stripped. The seller called this coin Au and like the others inthis thread, I don't know enough about grading these to disagree. >>

Sean, it's sad indeed that your coin is stripped, but hey... it's also ... clipped! Which, I suspect, is why you bought it.

I dunno about AU details there. Certainly the diamonds on the reverse are pretty sharp and well defined, but the weakness of the shield outline on the obverse makes me wonder how much of that is wear and how much of it is strike-related. What's up with the lettering? Is there some doubling there, or just mushy strike? Interesting.

PS- here is a slabbed AU for general comparison, though not an O-mint. And of course it's a Type 2 and not a Type 1 like the 1851-O.



Eh. Never mind. That picture is about worthless. Sorry.


Here- let's try the PCGS/Photograde exemplar for AU50. It's a Type 1.

claychaser

<< <i>Funkengroovin. Hm. Izzat anything like Fahrvergnügen?

Yeah, you have a point. I tend to forget that these were only .750 fine. Just like War nickels (.350 fine) tend to have funkier toning, I guess that could also be the issue with these, under certain conditions. >>



Hey, wasn't their some really attractive looking German blonde girl saying that in a VW ad years ago? Glad to have our resident world language and darkside master on board!

lordmarcovan

No hot German blondie here... just some dude.

But... yeah. Funkengroovin, Fahrvergnügen... whatever. (I had to Wiki it to get the spelling right and the little umlauts over the U.)

Oops. Sorry. We've strayed a bit from 1851-O trimes, haven't we? As you were.

kaz

I have this one raw, from eBay, probably dipped and has a little obv. planchet flaw:




not sure what, or if, it would grade.

lordmarcovan

Kaz, I think that one might have a shot. The only question I would have about its gradeability is how harsh they would judge the dip job.

crypto79

I have one of those in PCGS VG10, Paid to much but always wanted one

claychaser

Anybody want to GTG (no fair looking it up!)

kaz

vf(pick a #)?

Kove

<< <i>Anybody want to GTG (no fair looking it up!)


The obverse looks VF to me, but the reverse looks VG.

lordmarcovan

Claychaser- I like that one the best of all so far! You don't see many CircCam trimes!

illini420

Thanks again for all of the comments

Very nice coin claychaser!!! Already saw that coin in the PCGS Photograde when I was trying to figure out the grade of mine... didn't know it was yours!!!