Would These Spots Keep You From Buying? -- UPDATE

M4Madness · March 22, 2025 11:13AM

This coin has a CAC sticker.

CAC population of 14 for this year/grade, so it might be a wait for another one to hit the market. 1875-CC through 1877-CC are pretty much the only ones in my price range. CAC population of 32 for the three years in this grade.

Flatwoods · March 22, 2025 11:18AM

Yes

seatedlib3991 · March 22, 2025 11:25AM

I cannot say from this picture. do you have access to the coin or is this your onlt photo option?

Cougar1978 · March 22, 2025 11:30AM

Yes a spotted one especially like that one would be a no go both me and my clients who are very fussy. Especially expensive material. Look for coins that are PQ / problem free! I don’t do C or problem coins. I will bid up quality material however.

Looks like a horrible case of biological attack. Where is the slab photo with grade lol? Its a details coin isn’t it? You need to show them in their slab.

It would be a tough item to sell.

coinkat · March 22, 2025 11:44AM

I would need to see it in hand, tilt the coin to get a handle on the surfaces. The spots would not preclude me from considering the coin.

TomB · March 22, 2025 11:51AM

The image looks like a scan to me, which if true can wash out any depth in color the coin might have. As for what you consider spots, they look more like stains to me and I would not be attracted to them at all, but an in-hand inspection would be required for really difficult pieces.

Harlequin · March 22, 2025 12:00PM

As a raw coin for my album absolutely not but for a graded coin it probably would as I would want cleaner surfaces so I would personally just wait it out for a better example. The coin shown is cool though as the Seated Liberty is my favorite design and if you like the coin I would definitely say buy it if you would enjoy owning it as that is what the hobby is all about !!!!

DisneyFan · March 22, 2025 12:02PM

Are there any other pictures?

M4Madness · March 22, 2025 12:03PM

@DisneyFan said:
Are there any other pictures?

All the pics I can find of it from previous sales look exactly the same. Lol!

DisneyFan · March 22, 2025 12:08PM

@M4Madness said:

@DisneyFan said:
Are there any other pictures?

All the pics I can find of it from previous sales look exactly the same. Lol!

Then the question becomes, "Do nicer coins exist?" And am I willing to wait?

PerryHall · March 22, 2025 12:09PM

Hard pass on that coin. Another example of why you should examine the coin before you buy it even if it does have a CAC sticker.

M4Madness · March 22, 2025 12:15PM

@DisneyFan said:

@M4Madness said:

@DisneyFan said:
Are there any other pictures?

All the pics I can find of it from previous sales look exactly the same. Lol!

Then the question becomes, "Do nicer coins exist?" And am I willing to wait?

With a pool of 32 CAC coins spread across the three dates I'd take, the big question for me is "How long before another one hits the market?". Apparently JA liked it enough to sticker it. They spots/stains don't really bother me a great deal, due to it being a 149-year old circulated coin. But, either my heirs or myself will probably liquidate my collection someday, and I'm sure none of us want to be stuck with dreck. Lol!

jfriedm56 · March 22, 2025 12:17PM

Yes. Pass. What is the first thing your eyes are drawn to? Of course it’s the unattractive dark spotting covering 3/4 of the coin. Every time you or anyone looks at it, that’s what you’ll see. Nothing I’d want in my collection. Just wait for the one that’s right for you and if you have to ask, you probably already knew the answer.

DisneyFan · March 22, 2025 12:25PM

@M4Madness said:

@DisneyFan said:

Then the question becomes, "Do nicer coins exist?" And am I willing to wait?

With a pool of 32 CAC coins spread across the three dates I'd take, the big question for me is "How long before another one hits the market?". Apparently JA liked it enough to sticker it. They spots/stains don't really bother me a great deal, due to it being a 149-year old circulated coin. But, either my heirs or myself will probably liquidate my collection someday, and I'm sure none of us want to be stuck with dreck. Lol!

It really boils down to your personal preference.

Personally, I'd rather have incomplete sets than have coins that lack eye appeal. The worse thing for me (or my heirs) is to have dealers pooh, pooh my coins when it comes time to sell.

The other thought is the possibility of being flexible in your grade - one up or down.

Shurke · March 22, 2025 12:31PM

My gut reaction is that I don’t like it much.

M4Madness · March 22, 2025 12:35PM

I've found a few unstickered ones up for sale in XF45, but I'm too inexperienced to judge if they stand a chance of stickering. If anyone has a lead on an XF45 Carson City half dollar (sub-$1500) that has a green bean or a very good chance of getting one, please send me a message.

Morgan White · March 22, 2025 12:35PM

CAC loves spotty coins.

P0CKETCHANGE · March 22, 2025 12:43PM

This is the kind of coin I’d consider if I could get it close to Greysheet, minimizing downside in the case a better coin comes along, while protecting against the chance one doesn’t. I think I’d find it tough to pull the trigger at full CAC retail.

M4Madness · March 22, 2025 12:47PM

.

M4Madness · March 22, 2025 12:51PM

.

WCC · March 22, 2025 3:28PM

@M4Madness said:
I've found a few unstickered ones up for sale in XF45, but I'm too inexperienced to judge if they stand a chance of stickering. If anyone has a lead on an XF45 Carson City half dollar (sub-$1500) that has a green bean or a very good chance of getting one, please send me a message.

I'd recommend working with a dealer to find one given your description here.

DisneyFan · March 22, 2025 3:33PM

@M4Madness said:
I've found a few unstickered ones up for sale in XF45, but I'm too inexperienced to judge if they stand a chance of stickering. If anyone has a lead on an XF45 Carson City half dollar (sub-$1500) that has a green bean or a very good chance of getting one, please send me a message.

It's pretty much acknowledged that generally speaking, the chances of a coin getting a CAC is 40%. In the case of $1,000+ coins recently bought from a dealer/auction house, I would believe the chances are even less, no matter how nice the pictures look.

Sometimes the seller will even tell you whether the coin has been sent to CAC

skier07 · March 22, 2025 3:54PM

I don’t know how old you are but if you’re 40 you have lots of time to search. If you’re 70 time is not your friend but I still would wait for a nicer one to surface.

Edited for spelling.

291fifth · March 22, 2025 4:08PM

Pass unless heavily discounted.

M4Madness · March 22, 2025 4:43PM

@skier07 said:
I don’t know how old you are but if you’re 40 you have lots of time to search. If you’re 70 time is not your friend but I still would wait for a nicer one to surface.

Edited for spelling.

I'm 57.

skier07 · March 22, 2025 4:54PM

Assuming your health is good you have a good twenty or so years before you might consider selling your collection. I’d wait for a nicer one. Others probably feel differently than me as to what is a good age to sell their collection and if you even have to while alive.

DDR · March 22, 2025 5:12PM

For me, I would pass. Those spots would bug me every time I looked at the coin.

golden · March 22, 2025 5:22PM

As they say in Texas..... El Paso.

zer0man · March 22, 2025 5:46PM

yep

Walkerfan · March 22, 2025 8:32PM

That particular coin wouldn’t be for me..

Whit · March 22, 2025 8:46PM

Yes, I'd not buy. Life is too short to purchase coins whose most prominent feature makes you cringe.

4Redisin · March 22, 2025 10:24PM

@M4Madness said:

This coin has a CAC sticker.

CAC population of 14 for this year/grade, so it might be a wait for another one to hit the market. 1875-CC through 1877-CC are pretty much the only ones in my price range. CAC population of 32 for the three years in this grade.

Those are NOT SPOTS. No one here can give you a valid opinion without knowing more about you. That coin would be a treasure to some and a pass for others. The biggest factor is its price. I'd buy anything if I knew I could flip it for a profit. I collect red copper but most of my purchases are red-brown coins that I can flip until a red "keeper" comes along.

M4Madness · March 23, 2025 5:37AM

@4Redisin said:

I'd buy anything if I knew I could flip it for a profit. I collect red copper but most of my purchases are red-brown coins that I can flip until a red "keeper" comes along.

I'm totally the opposite. I never buy anything for the sole purpose of flipping. I'd leave it for the next guy who appreciates it and wants to keep it.

M4Madness · March 23, 2025 6:19AM

@Cougar1978 said:
Where is the slab photo with grade lol? Its a details coin isn’t it? You need to show them in their slab.

It's straight graded with the coveted green bean.

https://coins.ha.com/itm/seated-half-dollars/1876-cc-50c-xf45-pcgs-cac-pcgs-population-28-183-ngc-census-13-112-mintage-1-956-000-numismedia-wsl-price/a/1189-8333.s

Cougar1978 · March 23, 2025 6:22AM

No don’t buy spotted stuff. My clients seeking material w super luster / high end - no spots. For proper RCI - avoid spotted material.

In looking at it that photo it seems to hide the spots - note to self look at the TPG pic. Beware of spots. For me they are thumbs down.

LOL - No sticker is going to convince me to buy something heavily spotted like that.

There are online sellers who will turn down the lighting to hide the bad stuff. Take a look at the TPG picture in evaluating the item.

At my table at shows under my 100 watt lighting the spots would easily stand out.

M4Madness · March 23, 2025 6:34AM

@Cougar1978 said:
There are online sellers who will turn down the lighting to hide the bad stuff. Take a look at the TPG picture in evaluating the item.

There is no TrueView for the coin. The only photos available were taken by Heritage or AUCM back when they had it.

https://www.aucm.com/1876-cc-50c-liberty-seated-half-dollar-pcgs-xf45-cac-209608820.html

Cougar1978 · March 23, 2025 7:33AM

Yes if no photos from Certificate lookup then buyer beware. Sellers will try to hide defects. I like doing Cert lookup especially something being holdered a long time - like has it gone bad in the holder? Or is seller playing games.

BillJones · March 23, 2025 8:14AM

It's a pass for me. I don't care what CAC thinks.

Catbert · March 23, 2025 9:24AM

If eye appeal is important to you, then I think you know the answer.

I know it's hard to be patient when a hole needs to be filled.

coinbuf · March 23, 2025 10:19AM

"Would these spots keep you from buying" Yes 100%.

DisneyFan · March 23, 2025 10:37AM

The coin was sold on Sep 28, 2013. Is possible the spots got worse over time?

M4Madness · March 23, 2025 10:58AM

Current photos look the same to me as the ones taken 12 years ago.

epc · March 23, 2025 3:14PM

It depends on the purpose of the purchase. If a coin is for a high grade set to show off, I would pass on a coin with that kind of look. But if it's a really hard-to-find die marriage or die state for a variety collection, then I'd consider it.

M4Madness · March 25, 2025 9:28AM

Thanks to a member here, I'm now the owner of this beauty and no longer need the "spotted" one in the original post.

P0CKETCHANGE · March 25, 2025 1:55PM

That example is worlds better. Glad someone here was able to help out.

jacrispies · March 25, 2025 2:01PM

Phenomenal coin!! Congrats on the purchase.

1madman · March 25, 2025 2:15PM

@M4Madness said:

@Cougar1978 said:
Where is the slab photo with grade lol? Its a details coin isn’t it? You need to show them in their slab.

It's straight graded with the coveted green bean.

The rim ding actually bothers me more than the areas of blackness. The second coin you just posted is a 1875, whereas the original is 1876, so I’m not sure if we’re comparing apples to apples with different dates.

Walkerfan · March 25, 2025 2:49PM

Different date but MUCH nicer coin.

M4Madness · March 25, 2025 3:30PM

@1madman said:

@M4Madness said:

@Cougar1978 said:
Where is the slab photo with grade lol? Its a details coin isn’t it? You need to show them in their slab.

It's straight graded with the coveted green bean.

The rim ding actually bothers me more than the areas of blackness. The second coin you just posted is a 1875, whereas the original is 1876, so I’m not sure if we’re comparing apples to apples with different dates.

I'm just doing a Carson City type set, so I only need one half dollar of any date. The 1875-CC, 1876-CC, and 1877-CC are the only ones within my budget.

gorebels · March 25, 2025 5:01PM

Absolutely

golden · March 25, 2025 5:05PM

Great decision.

Would These Spots Keep You From Buying? -- UPDATE

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