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GRADE AND PROVENANCE POSTED - GTG from terrible photos of an 1885-S half-eagle?

TallahasseeCoinClubTallahasseeCoinClub Posts: 277 ✭✭✭
edited March 9, 2026 11:07AM in U.S. Coin Forum

ANSWERS POSTED BELOW!

Official PCGS account of:

www.TallahasseeCoinClub.com

Comments

  • GoobGoob Posts: 335 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 9, 2026 7:27AM

    Am I allowed to do two grade guesses?
    If so, MS62 or AU58,
    if not, then I'll stick with MS62

    Very beautiful half Eagle!

    "Another day, another Collectors Universe forum scrolling session."
    - Someone, probably

  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 31,449 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Ill go ms 63 (I'm lousy grading gold to)

  • The_Dinosaur_ManThe_Dinosaur_Man Posts: 1,432 ✭✭✭✭✭
    1. As far as provenance... starts with San Francisco

    Custom album maker and numismatic photographer.
    Need a personalized album made? Design it on the website below and I'll build it for you.
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  • marcmoishmarcmoish Posts: 6,877 ✭✭✭✭✭

    MS62

    Too much chatter for higher ,imho.

  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 33,640 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Technical grading: MS-62.
    Because of the luster it may have squeaked by as a 63.
    Providence: Rhode Island.
    Provenance: how could we possibly know?

    Numismatist. 54 year member ANA. Former ANA Senior Authenticator. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and ANA Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Author of "The Enigmatic Lincoln Cents of 1922," Available now from Whitman or Amazon.
  • Mr_SpudMr_Spud Posts: 7,054 ✭✭✭✭✭

    63, Fairmont providence

    Mr_Spud

  • logger7logger7 Posts: 9,515 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Terrible photos? On what basis do you say that? MS63.

  • ernie11ernie11 Posts: 2,098 ✭✭✭✭✭

    MS61.

  • dhikewhitneydhikewhitney Posts: 527 ✭✭✭✭

    MS62

  • I know the question about provenance was a little unfair for such a generic coin, but it was all in fun. Anyhow... behold, the full slab:

    Official PCGS account of:

    www.TallahasseeCoinClub.com

  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 35,654 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 9, 2026 10:41AM

    MS-61.

    An MS-62 is usually smoother with a little rub.

    I can't see where the photos are bad. They look pretty good to me.

    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 ... ?
  • TypekatTypekat Posts: 639 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Average “guess” = 61.80
    umnhh…

    30+ years coin shop experience (ret.) Coins, bullion, currency, scrap & interesting folks. Loved every minute!

  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 24,241 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 10, 2026 7:37AM

    Attractive color but in all fairness and solely based on the images, the coin is well short of 65.

    Just a bit outside…

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • tradedollarnuttradedollarnut Posts: 20,581 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow. I was at 62 myself

  • World67World67 Posts: 13,088 ✭✭✭✭✭

    MS63

  • I am not particularly familiar with "D. L. Hansen". Could this be a mechanical error?

    Before I saw the grade myself, I was thinking 62/3.

    Official PCGS account of:

    www.TallahasseeCoinClub.com

  • GoobGoob Posts: 335 ✭✭✭✭
    edited March 10, 2026 4:25AM

    @TallahasseeCoinClub said:
    I am not particularly familiar with "D. L. Hansen". Could this be a mechanical error?

    Before I saw the grade myself, I was thinking 62/3.

    From what little I know, he is one of the top collectors of today. Most of his sets are (or were) #1 on the PCGS set registry, although I've seen that some have been retired. After a quick Google search he seems to be the CEO of some real estate / management company, which explains why he has such a premium collection.

    "Another day, another Collectors Universe forum scrolling session."
    - Someone, probably

  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 35,654 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 10, 2026 5:23AM

    @Goob said:

    @TallahasseeCoinClub said:
    I am not particularly familiar with "D. L. Hansen". Could this be a mechanical error?

    Before I saw the grade myself, I was thinking 62/3.

    From what little I know, he is one of the top collectors of today. Most of his sets are (or were) #1 on the PCGS set registry, although I've seen that some have been retired. After a quick Google search he seems to be the CEO of some real estate / management company, which explains why he has such a premium collection.

    This “Hansen Collection thing” has degenerated to a marketing strategy. If the “Hansen collection” is this good, he would have a better coin in this slot than an MS-65, even if this were an MS-65.

    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 ... ?
  • tradedollarnuttradedollarnut Posts: 20,581 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I’m sure that’s one of his rejects. DLRC ‘auctions’ them off again and again at higher than full retail until somebody bites. He has one dupe that I was hot to trot on but I simply couldn’t bring myself to pay double for it.

  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 35,654 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This 1886-S is graded MS-64, no CAC. Which one would you rather have?

    This 1900 is graded MS-63. It looks better in person. It would be worth a crack-out if getting it graded MS-64 met anything, but it doesn't.

    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 ... ?

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