How to Get a Date on Dateless Coin

bmahaffey

I have a draped bust large cent. I can read the numbers "180" but the last number is missing. Does anyone have any tricks to find out what year this coin is? Also, is this a coin that I could send to be graded, or would they send it back as ungradable
?

keets

looks to me like it spent too much time in the ground and is corroded past help and/or grading. there are members who are pretty sharp and if there is enough detail left they may be able to discern diagnostics which are still visible.

oih82w8

The graders will spend approx. 10 seconds on each coin, if you can't figure out the date with the time you have devoted to it...it will come back ungradable and a waste of your $$$.

Rotate the coin around in a strong light and the date MAY appear.

abcde12345

Still worth a shot. Graders have equipment collectors only dream of owning and using.

LoveMyLiberty

Can you show a pic of the rev. ?

grip

Sometimes applying a little oil will help.

sellitstore

Looks like it could be 1800? I think that I see the inside of the final "0" but it could be a "6"?

A picture of the reverse might show an identifying die feature.

Rampage

No way. If you really cannot tell the date, and your eyes are normal, then do not waste your money. The comment below is absurd.

@abcde12345 said:
Still worth a shot. Graders have equipment collectors only dream of owning and using.

jedm

If you put a little nose grease on it and put it in a bright light... and that last digit is a 4, it's a keeper. That's a hole I haven't filled yet.

ricko

Tough one there.... I do not believe it is worth sending in... the graders will not see anything you cannot see....Perhaps someone here could pick up a diagnostic off the reverse...but even then, you are better off to self slab....Cheers, RickO

Walkerguy21D

Yes, there are die diagnostics that can be used to determine the dates on many early large cents. Several of us solved one for a poster a couple weeks ago.
Unfortunately I can't tell much about this one at all.
Unless you can obviously see the cud(s) present on an 1804, which could prove it's an '04,
I wouldn't bother sending this in.

.

PerryHall

I've seen large cents in worse condition where a large cent expert was able to determine the Sheldon variety using a few small still visible diagnostic features on the coin. There are other coins in other series where the date can be determined using unique die features even though the date is totally missing. The 1916 Standing Liberty quarter and the 1916/16 Buffalo nickel come to mind.

jedm

@elmiracoin said:

@jedm said:
If you put a little nose grease on it and put it in a bright light... and that last digit is a 4, it's a keeper. That's a hole I haven't filled yet.

Please explain how nose grease is acquired. I understand it is a stable in any doctor's bag of tricks.

I take my index finger and thumb and pinch the bridge of my nose and slide downwards. I can usually come up with a fair amount unless within the last hour or so have showered and or washed my face. Others may not be blessed with my wonderful complexion and may have to get theirs at the nearest Rexall Drug.

OldIndianNutKase

There is a new dating web site called match.coin. No pics, just blind dates........

OINK

carabonnair

@PerryHall said:
I've seen large cents in worse condition where a large cent expert was able to determine the Sheldon variety using a few small still visible diagnostic features on the coin.

Is there detail on the reverse side?

Wabbit2313

@abcde12345 said:
Still worth a shot. Graders have equipment collectors only dream of owning and using.

-

Azurescens

You can try rubbing your finger with a pencil, placing a thin sheet of tracing paper over it, and try rubbing it out.

bmahaffey

Sorry for the delayed response everyone...busy weekend. @LoveMyLiberty @sellitstore @Walkerguy21D @PerryHall
Here is a pic of the reverse!

justcollecting

Here is an example of what the guys on here can do.

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/967465/early-large-cent/p1

bmahaffey

@TheRegulator any ideas on this coin?

Davideo

@abcde12345 said:
Still worth a shot. Graders have equipment collectors only dream of owning and using.

Please list one piece of equipment that graders have that will help identify the date that is difficult for normal collectors to obtain.

lkeigwin

The reverse is certainly more help but this is still very difficult. If this were a contest my entry would be 1802 S.230.

Caveat: I studied these images well but there is so much corrosion on this old worn cent that attribution can be very tricky (and maybe wrong!). The below observations are meaningless to anyone who doesn't have William Noyes' book, United States Large Cents, 1793-1814.

Obverse:
The hair curl positions relative to ERT in LIBERTY are identifiable. Look for the bumps. Not much more can be discerned from the obverse.

Reverse:
You can make out the UN of UNITED and its location relative to the left stem that points to the U (it points below the center of U). This eliminates about 2/3rds of all possibilities (thankfully). The left stem is also rather short.

You can make out position of the lowest left leaves relative to the UNI letters, and the positions of lower right leaves relative to each letter of MERICA.

ME appear to touch. There appears to be a berry to the right of CENT. The leaf tips above the E in ONE extend slightly beyond the top of the E. ONE is fairly high in the wreath. C in CENT looks low.

So there you have it. 1802 S.230. Will PCGS agree? Absolutely not. They will say it can't be ID'd. And even if the date were plain as day it would never straight-grade because of corrosion.
Lance.

abcde12345

@Davideo said:

@abcde12345 said:
Still worth a shot. Graders have equipment collectors only dream of owning and using.

Please list one piece of equipment that graders have that will help identify the date that is difficult for normal collectors to obtain.

Their superior brains.