From the OP's first post: "Not my coin but an interesting study in the grading standards of early gold."
Well, yes, and no. Trying to correlate what you see in that photo and the grade on the label isn't likely to lead you to any conclusions except perhaps ones that are incorrect. The coin looks dull, the technique over-emphasizes surface preservation issues, and it would be hard to present it in a less-flattering way.
CAC is brutal on early gold, and there's no way they'd sticker a coin if it looked in-hand like it does in that photo.
Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
The processed comments are not a bit harsh as those that made the comment are limited to what we see in the image. And we all know and accept that grading from an image is significantly different than grading a coin in hand. The sad reality is that so much early gold has been compromised by efforts to enhance in an effort to squeeze out the highest grade possible. Early gold in general reads like the first lines from the classic novel... A Tale of Two Cities... It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
The OP coin does have an extraordinary strike. Can anyone post an early half eagle with better hair detail? Although I agree that the second coin posted appears much prettier, but the strike is flat compared to the OP coin.
Comments
For the record I want to say it’s much easier to guess AFTER I see the slab.
So, I think this needs to be acknowledged.....
From the OP's first post: "Not my coin but an interesting study in the grading standards of early gold."
Well, yes, and no. Trying to correlate what you see in that photo and the grade on the label isn't likely to lead you to any conclusions except perhaps ones that are incorrect. The coin looks dull, the technique over-emphasizes surface preservation issues, and it would be hard to present it in a less-flattering way.
CAC is brutal on early gold, and there's no way they'd sticker a coin if it looked in-hand like it does in that photo.
The second coin looks really solid for the grade.
The processed comments are not a bit harsh as those that made the comment are limited to what we see in the image. And we all know and accept that grading from an image is significantly different than grading a coin in hand. The sad reality is that so much early gold has been compromised by efforts to enhance in an effort to squeeze out the highest grade possible. Early gold in general reads like the first lines from the classic novel... A Tale of Two Cities... It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
I've always liked this beautiful design. Both obv and rev.
Lafayette Grading Set
The OP coin does have an extraordinary strike. Can anyone post an early half eagle with better hair detail? Although I agree that the second coin posted appears much prettier, but the strike is flat compared to the OP coin.