1837 Capped Bust Quarter - Worth grading or cleaned?
Jmo19delta
Posts: 10 ✭
Hello all,
New here to the forum and figured I would make my first post! This coin screams cleaned to me but I bought it anyways because of the details, especially the stars on the obverse, and the fact that the edges looked good. In reality though a coin of this age should show some more dirt and/or toning... and when you look at the horizontal lines of the shield on the reverse it has toning where none is really evident anywhere else on the coin. Is that a normal thing to see given the condition of the rest of the coin? Please let me know your comments! Overall I think this is a beautiful coin and I may get it graded just because I like it that much!?!?
Obverse.... has good PL fields... but can that be a result of cleaning?
Reverse.... also very good PL fields, cleaned or no? There is also either damage or a die crack/marraige here that I haven't been able to find anything about.... note the top right and bottom left of the eagle's left wing. Is this a Browning die variety or maybe damage incurred over time?
A side view. This coin appears UNC details to me? But I am a rookie in coin grading. 
Comments
From your pictures the coin looks whizzed or polished.
Looks polished to me. I wouldn’t send it in.
The coin appears to have AU details and been cleaned or polished.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
The coin looks cleaned or polished as stated above... and the marks by the wing on the reverse look like damage...Cheers, RickO
I agree that it appears to have been polished or whizzed in the past. Its die marriage is B-2, which is the most common die marriage of 1837.
It's really too bad when coins this nice have been cleaned... sucker is beautiful but can't change what's been done! Either way thanks for your comment NSP and others!
I know what you mean. Someone sold my mom an 1823 half in the 1980s that had an identical look to yours. Shame what people did to those coins.
I know I am going against the grain here, but I do not think it has been whizzed or polished. Maybe wiped, but then again it's impossible to tell for sure just from the pics. Depending on what you gave for it you might want to consider having a dealer check it out and submitting it for you if that's possible for you.
It has the "feel" of something that has tasted polish or jeweler's rouge. You mentioned you are a rookie at grading, so might I ask how the coin was marketed to you upon your acquisition?
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
This was an Ebay coin TomB, it was marketed as uncirculated but obviously on Ebay everything is based on what you can see in the pictures the dealer has posted. I learned after this to ask for more pics.... that paid off for me on the next SLQ I bought which was a MS63 Type 1 FH. Normally I would like to buy in person.... but I live over a hundred miles from the nearest coin store.
I am maybe a bit hard on myself, I'm not exactly a rookie, but I have lots of learning to do which is why I am on the forum.
I would agree with the diagnosis of polished, based on what I can see from the photos, there is a small amount of luster around the stars on the obv., there should be more in the fields for a coin with so little wear, and the surfaces just look too reflective. The rev seems to have more remaining field luster, something I have seen before as the obv or "important" side was given more attention by the person doing the polishing.
I have purchased similar coins on eBay in the past and generally have not been pleased in the long run. I have one that I am using as a pocket piece hoping to wear it down to a better appearance, before I step off this mortal coil.
It is always worth grading, the real question is "Is it worth trying to have it slabbed?"
BHNC #203
Live and learn. Everybody here has probably made at least one purchase that they regret.
I know I have! 
Dimeman is spot on. Expensive tuition. Great advice is read the book first. I’m not saying that’s what I did
Wish I knew the person who made only one purchase they regret...
I can't tell if it's whizzed from the pictures, but it certainly looked harshly cleaned/polished. There's a lot of nice detail there, but I would be surprised if it straight-graded. Like others, I bought one like this when I was first collecting bust quarters. 1837 is a nice small sized BQ date...
Save your money