IrishMike's prized spotted coin
shylock
Posts: 4,288 ✭✭✭
Mike won a Kingswood lot last night while I was rooting for him in the background, an 1865 IH PCGS MS64RD with a giant spot on the reverse. But it also has almost a full Indian on both sides, with a clash so deep there may be traces of LIBERTY on the reverse. The headband and feather marks below CENT are usually never seen on these, and I imagine it's going to be even more detailed in person. Here's the B&M image of the reverse blown up a bit:
Besides a neat conversation piece, it shows where a lot of the marks commonly seen on IH's come from. They're usually faint so are confused with planchet or die flaws, and sometimes they just look like toning changes. I put a composite together of Mike's 1865 which shows where to look for the most common reverse clash marks, and where they originated from on the obverse design:
The obverse is also clashed, but not as dramatic: link
Besides a neat conversation piece, it shows where a lot of the marks commonly seen on IH's come from. They're usually faint so are confused with planchet or die flaws, and sometimes they just look like toning changes. I put a composite together of Mike's 1865 which shows where to look for the most common reverse clash marks, and where they originated from on the obverse design:
The obverse is also clashed, but not as dramatic: link
Paul <> altered surfaces <> CoinGallery.org
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Comments
We'll use our hands and hearts and if we must we'll use our heads.
Beautiful piece Mike,
Congratulations!
I have a hunch that this coin will end up at NCS to be conserved. I don't know if it is possible to remove the carbon or not, but if they are able to, I don't mind if it ends up in their slab with clashed die noted on the holder. It may not be slabbable after they conserve it. I would hate for the coin to worsen. In fact Paul mentioned to me that this would be the kind of coin net-graded or lower graded that still would be interesting.
Paul thanks for the fantastic imaging, looks like a ghost has inherited the reverse. I will share the rest of the story at a later date.
Hopefully NCS can at least neutralize the spot Mike. Like I said it's the sort of coin you'd rather buy cheap and lightly cleaned on Ebay than in a 64RD slab. But you got it so cheap it was worth the extra $$ for a more original coin.
John
siliconvalleycoins.com
Maybe NCS can do something about the spot?
I had an 1882 Indian cent with an "artificial" clash once- it had a strong impression of the reverse of a Seated dime on one side, and a clashed Indian cent obverse on the reverse. Not a bonafide error, I'm sure, but it was very unusual, and probably a contemporary job.
Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.
Mike, that's a GREAT coin. A real keeper. Congrats.
and it sets us apart from practitioners and consultants. Gregor
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the
moments that take our breath away.
That would be new for me!
As far as NCS and that spot, I don't think they'll mess with it, but you never know.
LSCC#1864
Ebay Stuff
<< <i>If NumisED's nonfarewell, farewell speech can get 68 replies then this deserves a TTT or we need to change this forums name to the OPEN forum. >>
I agree Mike that this thread deserves more air time than those off topic threads! This is a very cool coin! My thought's about trying to remove the spot are that it will hurt the coin more than help it. I have gone this route with poor results with regards to having an original looking coin after the spot was removed. mike
Shylock just one more example of your awesome work that is done here for the collectors.
Ken
Neat work guys.
That overlayed image is definitely one worth copying for referrence.
Mark Feld was gracious enough to give me a feel on other two as he viewed them in person for me. In the mean time I alerted another board member to the 1865 IHC and I could tell he was as interested in it and willingly shared his expertise on the coin with me. This is the main reason I keep stumbling back to these forums. Thanks again!
The clashes are almost always incomplete, stronger along one edge than another. In Mike's, the top of the indian is strong but no date, in others the opposite occurs. If the die faces are parallel in the press, why does this occur??
Mike - this is a great example of how it can pay to check out every lot in a sale, even those that don't interest you by their titles. It's not the first time you pointed out an interesting coin that I never would have found myself.