Please help with grade on this Congo Free State coin

Morganmanic · March 13, 2013 11:40PM

Thanks to all who help I am in need of a good consensus on grade.

Thanks

ormandh · March 14, 2013 5:22AM

I would call it AU55/58 based on the spots on the reverse. I am usually a conservative grader though. I am interested in what others who have more experience grading have to say. -Dan

johnny9434 · March 14, 2013 5:26AM

the spots are a real killer

lordmarcovan · March 14, 2013 7:51AM

I'd say EF45 minimum, but probably would concur with an AU grade. I'd likely go by the crowns on the obverse for a grading pickup point, since they seem to have the most pictorial or relief detail. The only spot that would bother me is that one at 12:00 in your second photo. The other stains I could probably live with.

Without peeking at Krause, I wonder aloud what the pricerange on this coin is, and if it is a candidate for "conservation".

I wouldn't be too optimistic about my own personal chances of removing that larger spot- it looks like "that's gonna leave a mark" even after any crud is removed.

Too bad, and a detrimental factor, for sure, but maybe not a total deal-killer for somebody who wants it enough.

marcmoish · March 14, 2013 10:39PM

EF45 from here - in hand if surfaces have more LIFE I'd say AU55-58 at best.

mrpotatoheadd · March 15, 2013 8:32AM

Even if you could get the spots off entirely, it would most likely cost more than the coin could be sold for.

LochNESS · March 15, 2013 8:43AM

Since comparison has helped me in the past, here's my example (which I have listed as XF):

Mr Potato Head, not sure how much you pay for conservation but the Krause value is $55.

lordmarcovan · March 15, 2013 8:55AM

Wow. I did a double-take there, for a second, thinking that LochNESS' coin was the "after" picture of the OP coin!

LochNESS · March 15, 2013 9:09AM

LordM, do you think my example is better than XF? or does this comparison bring you to feel the OP's coin is less than xf45?

lordmarcovan · March 15, 2013 9:30AM

I think your coin is AU. I think the OP coin probably is, too, at least from a details standpoint (if one doesn't consider a bit of luster or red necessary). I just couldn't look quite as closely on my chosen focal area (the crowns) on Morganmanic's piece, due to the images. Mind you, they're perfectly adequate images, but I just couldn't make out the crowns as clearly as I'd like. Others might choose different focal areas or take more of an overall viewing stance, but on coins with minimalist designs like monograms, I tend to go for something with a little bit of relief to it, as mentioned. A lot of European coins with royal monograms present this dilemma, but fortunately the monogram is often accompanied by a crown, so I am used to zooming in on the beads and such in the crowns to make my determination.

mrpotatoheadd · March 15, 2013 9:52AM

<< <i>Mr Potato Head, not sure how much you pay for conservation but the Krause value is $55. >>

My catalog (6th edition) shows $12 in XF. I haven't checked for later editions lately so assuming your price is from a more recent edition, figuring a price for an impaired XF 2C based on the pricing for a 5C in my book ($25 VF, $55 XF), I'd think it would likely be worth around $15-20 or so. Can you get a coin conserved for that? I don't know.

LochNESS · March 15, 2013 1:05PM

I have the same edition as yours. Here is the reason for my confusion... apparently my date (1887) is valued more than double the OP's date (1888). Perhaps the 1887s were the ones melted?

I totally agree in current condition it would fetch about $15 but if conserved (and no longer impaired) then it might cover the cost of conservation.

But it's copper - you can't dip it, right? How to conserve?

I've never actually dipped anything so I really don't know but my understanding was that copper is untouchable.

mrpotatoheadd · March 15, 2013 1:42PM

<< <i>But it's copper - you can't dip it, right? How to conserve? >>

Seems to me, it's not worth spending any money to conserve. Assuming you could get rid of the spot completely and without any evidence of it having ever existed, I would think the best price you could expect to get would be around $18-20. The chances of removing that spot completely (IMO) are awfully close to zero and in that case, you'd have a $5 or so coin after spending ??? for conservation.

lordmarcovan · March 15, 2013 4:23PM

<< <i>Seems to me, it's not worth spending any money to conserve. Assuming you could get rid of the spot completely and without any evidence of it having ever existed, I would think the best price you could expect to get would be around $18-20. The chances of removing that spot completely (IMO) are awfully close to zero and in that case, you'd have a $5 or so coin after spending ??? for conservation. >>

I agree. Too bad, but 'tis what it is. Tinkering with that spot would only risk making things worse. And paying somebody else to tinker with the spot would run almost the same risk AND cost you more money.

The spot is a bit distracting, but otherwise the rest of the coin has good "meat" on it.

Please help with grade on this Congo Free State coin

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