Grade Assessment Needed 1828 Half Cent
Coinscratch
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I picked this one up recently and couldn't set it back down and mostly because of the colorful toning.
I estimated the grade to be somewhere between 58 & 63 and paid the asking price of 300.00.
Now, that it is out of the capital holder I am questioning my decision. I feel like I need to have it graded to ever recoup.
Do you think it would even straight grade and if so what is your estimate.
Thanks & Happy Friday!
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From the pictures, it looks like it was chemically cleaned long ago and has since retoned. Unc. Details, altered color I believe it would come back.
I don't think disco was ready yet in the 1820s. I see it coming back as AU-55, questionable color.
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Cleaned, retoned. Unc.
Buying and Selling coins for 54 years, 700+ shows in last 20 years, and boy am I tired.
Purchased and Trademarked the Mohawk Valley Hoard
Originated the Rochester (NY) Area Coin Expo
altered color
AU details, AT, and very unnatural color
Commems and Early Type
Cleaned and retoned AU.
It would not straight grade based on those images. Looks like a $300 tuition piece to me.
10-4,
My Instagram picturesErik
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Yea, I was afraid that would be the consensus. Back in the capital holder she'll go.
Any takers
I'll probably list it on the bay and just be happy with whatever comes.
So, to learn something for my tuition payment what I am looking at here?
The color is not conducive with typical toning?
Did the damage on the rims cause the details grade or just the color?
What tells you that it was previously cleaned or chemically cleaned? The color or just the overall look coming from the trained eye?
The purple is so unnatural and not close to a MS70 job either. That is what immediately jumped out at me.
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
Since you have little to lose, exposing to ammonia fumes (watch closely, and don’t walk away) might (might!) mellow the off colors.
Buying and Selling coins for 54 years, 700+ shows in last 20 years, and boy am I tired.
Purchased and Trademarked the Mohawk Valley Hoard
Originated the Rochester (NY) Area Coin Expo
Just for my learning experience, lets just assume for a sec that the purple was not there and the color looked natural. Based on that image what grade would you guess?
Okay so, disco lights are acceptable on silver but not on copper? Even though there are many examples of colorful copper out there (just not these).
You win the AT prize. Too bad as the coin is in good shape otherwise. I wish people would quit trying to “improve “ their coins.
Don't get me wrong guys, I'm just trying to absorb as much for the tuition payment. It does look unnatural huh.
Looks cleaned, retoned possibly AU. Coins like that at $300 if still raw I wonder why. Pass
@CoinscratchFever A reputable dealer would take a return and refund your purchase price.
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I suppose there's one way to find out if he is reputable. I'm not gonna hold my breathe though, small jewerly/coin shop just moved here (Texas) from Colorado.
In all honesty, if the coin you posted is hard to see from your eyes as being off color or questionable, best thing to do would be to spend a lot of time looking at graded coins of all different sorts to try to train your eyes in what to look for, this includes gradeable and net graded coins. Its going to take some time to get your eyes trained, having a dealer friend that can discern will help, if you sit down with them and have them show you why or why something is gradeable or not.
Dont feel bad, I have guys in our coin club that have been collecting as long as I have been alive cant tell either. it takes time
One of the things I used to do is sit and review auction coins at the larger shows for hours, mainly helping with various series that I had little access to locally.
I agree with all of that and it's good advice that I will take. I think it came down to a lack of knowledge about color. Sure, I can see the vibrant colors and my initial reaction was AT. But I didn't realize how unnatural this would be for an old copper.
Especially after all the Morgan's I've seen. Going even deeper, maybe color is acceptable on these if in it's a little more believable (mellow). Furthermore, the way the color is displaced could be a factor as it looks as though it was applied unevenly albeit unnatural.
Okay! Back to the hunt - Thanks!
A surprising number of collectors, even experience ones, can't grade or detect cleaning. Until you feel confident that you can you would be well advised to stick to graded coins in major TPG holders.
I hope it works out well for you! Can't hurt to try a return.
Q: is it common for dealers to take a return on a raw coin once it has left the store?
I could see that, e.g., seller takes coin home and tries to 'improve' it, doesn't like the outcome, then tries to return it.
Not suggesting that is the case here.
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I'm not going to try and return it. I saw it, I liked it, and I bought it. Now, I get to own it.
Well, then I had better hurry up and get good at it.
53
"Got a flaming heart, can't get my fill"
Thank you sir.
Beyond the funky color, the luster (especially on the reverse) looks quite flat. Whenever the luster is not commensurate with the level of wear, red lights should come on.
Looks like a 50 - 53 to me.... but the AT is obvious... Cheers, RickO
Unc. details, funky colors from chemical stripping long ago that has re-toned.
Red lights? Not purple green and yellow lights
I see what your saying, there’s a mix match in the features.
There are some trace amounts of flow lines noticeable on the edges but you are absolutely correct there is zero flash or cart wheel in hand.
If purple lights come on, you probably need to lay off the wacky tobaccy.
Don't feel bad. Paying 'tuition' is how many of us got better. Also, learning from the many knowledgeable people here is very valuable, and in many cases, free!
I was enamored with the look of this large cent at a show many years ago and had to have it. Oops, cleaned and recolored. I still kinda like the look of it, but it would never straight grade and purists would avoid it like the plague:
@Walkerguy21D When you see something like that from a distance the wheels start spinning. But then once your up close sometimes there is another story. So the tell tale signs on yours is again the color and the flatness in the fields? It almost looks painted.
I need to start carrying a loupe with me and stop relying on theirs. Plus the lighting in some of these places are affecting my judgement. I recently visited an antique shop with a couple different coin tables. The lighting was overall dark and so the coins I purchased looked amazing, until I got outside. I think they were polished or is it Whizzed?
Since I don't have much to lose at this point I'm going to try out some of @Steven59 's Smurf Piss I mean Skunk Piss. The former is a shot which, I might try one of those out too.
Turning into a science project so if that doesn't strip the color I'll try a little windex
I also heard that putting a toned coin in a bowl on top of some aluminum foil then put a tablespoon of baking soda on it then pour boiling water over it to soak will remove the toning - seeing your resorting to science experiments - kinda like wearing 3 masks............
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
Your coin looks AT.
Viewing coins at a store can be very difficult. Oftentimes the lighting isn’t very good, you may not have your reading glasses or favorite loupe with you, plus you lose your ability to make good decisions when your raw emotions tell you one thing and your brain tells you something different.
Old, circulated copper should look like chocolate.
Once in a while a matte proof Lincoln or exceptional mint-state coin will have color, but not like this. That almost looks like a hairspray job to me. Copper is NOT like silver. Trying to un-tone it will probably not help very much.
A blue iridescence on lustrous, uncirculated coins can sometimes been seen. The color on the reverse of this one is about what that should look like:
Oh my !
I had an 1804 half cent with stems crosslet 4 that had similar color that came back questionable color. Broke my heart, as at the time I thought I had picked up a monster, wasn't worried about the nick, stupidly. 10 or 15 years ago. I think yours would come back the same. At the time using a Sony Mavica and couldn't photo the color.
Jim
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yup. i've been bit by the cleaned/tampered then nicely toned coins. amazing what can be hiding on a coin if we don't pay enough attention.
some days i for sure do not envy the graders at the tpg.