Thoughts on this coin? 1838-D $5 gold
Bigbuck1975
Posts: 1,271 ✭✭✭✭✭
What do you think about this coin? Friend had a customer stop by with it for a valuation request. 
1
Comments
MY XF+ with very scruffy surfaces.
I think you'll get AU-53 from TPGS. Should be sold as AU by any dealer.
@ColonelJessup
I would give it an XF45..... Cheers, RickO
@Boosibri
@BillJones
@RYK
Super tough to tell from the pictures. Could be anything from a cleaned EF to an gradeable AU53.
Latin American Collection
The photos make it hard to give you definitive answer, but from what I can see, I believe that the surfaces have been rubbed with some sort of an abrasive. The coin might still get a straight grade because I’ve seen some pieces have had some work still make it into a regular holder.
The sharpness grade is AU in any case, and there are some mint surface places in the protected areas, like the stars and the lettering. As Boosibri said, the grade could be anything from AU sharpness, improper cleaning to AU-53.
Don't know this particular series well but it is a weak strike, has been dipped and heavily bad marked. I'd say 50 PCGS and 53 NGC. JUST M/O.
+1. Too hard to tell. I could guess even higher at AU55. Not much obvious wear showing. The stars on the 1838-D $5 run the gamut in strike. This one looks average, with weaker struck Stars 1 and 2 the norm, and not wear.
Mark it down, I agree with insider. Au53 net graded down from 55 for surface impairment but nice enough to get a grade if put through the hopper enough times
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
A scruffy EF. Should expect to receive offers about 10% below a real EF with nice fields. Might be better than the photos reveal, also. (But clearly not an AU condition coin.)
Photo is slightly over exsposed with light which makes all surfaces look worse than they are. I would bet a fair amount there is plenty of luster and the color carries the grade.
That much meat on a 38d has the grade start in the 55+ range before other factors are considered.
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
I don't assume anything abut the photo except what I see. As presented it is EF for wear and scruffy surfaces. The "strike" is immaterial if grading is to be consistent and objective.
It looks like it was very roughly cleaned. If slabbed, I see a "genuine" in its future.
@oldgoldlover said: "Don't know this particular series well but it is a weak strike, has been dipped and heavily bad marked. I'd say 50 PCGS and 53 NGC. JUST M/O."
I'm interested in your opinion, Please let me know where you see evidence of a weak strike.
@RogerB said: "A scruffy EF. Should expect to receive offers about 10% below a real EF with nice fields. Might be better than the photos reveal, also. (But clearly not an AU condition coin.)"
IMO, this coin is closer to a beat up AU-58 than an EF. Folks don't grade the way we do any more.
This image is just not helpful in terms of offering any meaningful opinion.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
There is no wear to speak of other than surface rub. The flat stars are strike
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
RE: "IMO, this coin is closer to a beat up AU-58 than an EF."
In that case, I can easily find hundreds of coins for you to buy! "AU" means just a trace of wear or slight luster disturbance from handling -- that's all.
Calling that coin - based only on posted photos - an "AU" merely confuses collectors and contributes to grade inflation.
Clearly, I disagree with several about the condition of the coin. If it is so "nice" then buy it and then try to sell as if were were correctly graded EF, scruffy surfaces.
Put the nog down and climb down from the horse. We get it, you are claiming some arbitrary long forgotten grading standard that people haven’t used in generations to make you look like a more serious numismatist. But that isn’t how coins are graded today (or anytime recently) and a little field friction doesn’t knock a coin down to EF automatically.
FYI I would gladly pay EF bid for that if it is for sale and would expect to make a few thousand on the transaction.
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
Folks don't grade the way we do any more. IMO, old dinosaurs like us and today's "net" graders will call this scruffy AU coin an XF. I'll bet all of the major TPGS will grade it AU-something. Again IMO, the coin is not worth grading as it belongs in a "details" slab. I'd keep it or sell it raw as an AU.
Anyway, our opinion is not even worth a nickel.
Scrubby Au50 to me. Maybe a 53.
http://m.pcgscoinfacts.com/Coin/Detail/8178
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
I've been collecting the Classic Head gold series for the last couple of years. Regardless of what you might think about the current grading issues, if you think that you going to get this much detail in an EF graded coin, you will be sadly disappointed. I know because I have tried to convince myself to buy EF graded coins is this and the quarter eagle series. They are almost all "1970s VF-25s, 30s and 35s" if you are lucky.
AU55 details, can't tell much about surface other than it's ticky.....probably cleaned or scrubbed at some point.
Some forum members need to get with the times, as it ain't 1972 anymore and this is today's AU details whether they agree or not.
loos like a cleaned coin to me.
Based on the blurry images -- an AU-details/cleaned coin. Easily AU-level of wear, but she looks like she's been through the scrubber a time or two, or three. I could see it going many ways, but my inclination would be PCGS = AU-details; NGC = Market-acceptable AU-50; ICG = AU-55. Sorry, no CAC sticker for this one.
CD
Scrubbed (cleaned) surfaces, so a 'details' grade is in order.
But I think technically, it's a definite high AU grade (AU58).
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
I think it is clearly AU details but the images don't allow further classification as to grade/condition. Wistful thinking, speculation, and pontification rule from this point on...
looks cleaned to me. sorry
Thank you for your most generous giveaway!
If the surfaces are as they appear in the photos, it is a "details grade" coin. As such the value would be in low EF to high VF range.
For those of you who think that this should sell for VF money, dream on. I've seen the Charlotte and Dahlonega Classic Head $5 coins that were graded VF-20, and they looked like something the cat left on your back step as a compliment.
Thanks for all of the comments fellas. I will be making a offer based on all of the astute input.
Looks AU55 to me.
My YouTube Channel
11.5$ Southern Dollars, The little “Big Easy” set
Mostly agree, considering the value is somewhere between about $6k and about $22k based on the opinions expressed so far, that's quite a spread!
Suggest all read the link Crypto provided.
I think it straight grades and nets out to 51.5, based on the "just ok" pictures.
Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry
If the owner accepts my offer, I will update everyone with the news either bad or good. I will get a true view also and bump this thread.
Unfortunately the OP has not grade to provide except for the one he might devise himself.
Latin American Collection
I agree and lean toward the higher end. Looks cleaned but could just be the photos. I like it a lot and would love to have it in my collection.
it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide
The photo that you have provided is not much help in determining the color or surface of the coin. The detail on the coin seems to be at least AU. Note the detail on the AU55 coin below from the "North Georgia Collection". Its hard to tell from the photo of the coin in question whether the toning is broken or the surfaces are choppy and rough. Some of the 38-D have a semi-prooflike surface which seems to show all the tiny scratches that the coin has picked up over the years.
Overland Trail Collection Showcase
Dahlonega Type Set-2008 PCGS Best Exhibited Set