1837 B-4 Bust Quarter, submitted for your approval or at least your analysis
1TwoBits
Posts: 464 ✭✭✭✭
We've seen these stories before....
I keep noticing an 1837 bust quarter that's coming up for auction, as it pulls me in due to the fact that I have been working on a grading set based on the variety. I've posted many of the examples here, and even had a grading contest on the different examples I had at the time. When I looked closer, I realized it was a coin I owned for a while.
I purchased it as a NGC MS63, and it had a very nice lustrous look to it.
When I crossed it to PCGS, it crossed at grade. These are from the Trueview:
Since I had two MS63's for the variety, I kept the Eliasberg example and eventually sold this example. Auction pic's:
In the current auction, it's back in an NGC holder with no variety attribution and as MS64. The thing I'm wondering about is whether it was dipped before it went back to NGC for the MS64 grade. For me, it doesn't really look like it used to. It looks like the little bit of toning around the periphery and overall tone have been washed away and the few little scattered marks previously rendered not much to look at are now a bit more obvious and visible. It could just be the lighting and pictures, but what do you think?
If you do think it was dipped, do you think it was a good thing or not so good?
1TwoBits
Comments
Oh man ... I had to read everything before I really looked at all the pictures. It looks like it got dipped. And it's worse for it, not better ... at least IMO. Looks like it lost its skin.
Sad ... especially since it was a gorgeous piece for what it was before that.
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
Agree with Pursuit of Liberty. The True View shows the skin. The last pic it's whiter, but the skin is gone and spots are more obvious. This is one thing that really bothers me about the hobby. If I was looking for a type coin, I'd consider the True View image, once I looked at it in person. Would not look at the coin in the last pic.
"Seu cabra da peste,
"Sou Mangueira......."
It was skinned alive to sell to the "Brilliant is best" people.
Though, based on the photos above, even when it was a 63 it likely had been dipped at some point in its history. Just that it had developed a more acceptable skin since any earlier dipping, if there was one. Bottom line is that I prefer the look it had before becoming a 64.
"To Be Esteemed Be Useful" - 1792 Birch Cent --- "I personally think we developed language because of our deep need to complain." - Lily Tomlin
I wish that had some crust on it. Just saying
The coin definitely looks as if it has had a dip. That being said, it could also be the pictures... In hand would be the final judgement....Cheers, RickO
Totally agree with the "it likely had been dipped at some point in its history"
On a side note, I've always loved the die cracks on the bust quarters.
I agree with those that note the coin was probably dipped at some point in the past prior to my purchasing it in the old non-pronged NGC holder. However, in that prior period of time it seemed to take on a nice looking light golden tone that looked great with all of the remaining original luster.
This is the MS63 I kept, from the Eliaberg sale (let's hope this one never gets dipped):
If the NGC 64 is recently dipped, I'd probably have to place it below this coin in the census despite the numerical grade.
1TwoBits
Sadly, it looks dipped (the NGC 64). I wonder if it went through CAC post-dipping. Did you try CAC at 63?
Best, SH
Even in the Trueviews, you could tell the fields broken luster means it probably was dipped way back when; developed a patina over time.
Looks like it was dipped or maybe NCS, and it stripped the more acceptable look it had.
Toned MS Ike Registry: https://pcgs.com/setregistry/dollars/eisenhower-dollars-major-sets/eisenhower-dollars-basic-set-circulation-strikes-1971-1978/publishedset/183265
I can see why you kept the one you did! What a beauty.
@spacehayduke , the coin now in the 64 NGC holder did go to CAC after crossing to PCGS as a MS63. It did not sticker.
The Eliasberg example I previously posted did get a green sticker, as did my MS62 example below:
You sold the right one. The Eliasberg coin is exceptional.