Thanksgiving Morning Guess The Grade - 23S Monroe (Revealed)

FC57Coins · November 26, 2003 11:00PM

Happy Turkey Day! Take a stab at this one - just got it back from NGC via NCS

LucyBop · November 26, 2003 11:09PM

I'll take that coin........

FatMan · November 26, 2003 11:19PM

Frank

Looks like a very nice find. I would like to see the pre- NCS pic to see the value of their service. I really like the reverse design on the Monroe. Really cool making the western hemisphere out of two women. Too bad the coin was done in such low relief. It would have been stellar in a higher relief design.

The Monroe is a tough coin in 64+. Your photo is showing some great luster and the reflections are making it tough to grade. I do see some hits at 10:00 that will keep it out of gem grade.

I'll say NGC gave it a 64.

ksteelheader · November 26, 2003 11:26PM

Frank, Beautiful coin!! But, nary a clue as to grade....Ken

Louis · November 26, 2003 11:27PM

MS64 ?

FC57Coins · November 26, 2003 11:37PM

<< <i>I would like to see the pre- NCS pic to see the value of their service. >>

John:

I thought I had taken a picture of the coin prior to it being sent to NCS, but I think in the rush to get the package out I must've forgotten. Suffice it to say it was a no brainer deciding to send it in. The coin had typical goldish/brownish toning which hid the luster of the coin, though you could see some of it coming through - add to that a healthy spray of brown splotches on the obverse and a nice thumb print on the reverse - when I got the coin in last night I was truly surprised at how nicely the coin had come out - this is my second or third submission to NCS and I've been very pleased each time.

XpipedreamR · November 26, 2003 11:37PM

63

BillJones · November 26, 2003 11:39PM

Looks like an MS-64 to me, mainly because of the luster. It was dipped a time or two, but at that level I would not hold that against it.

FC57Coins · November 27, 2003 12:05AM

As I said - I was really shocked when I got the coin out of the box from NGC - the coin looked freshly minted! When it went in I knew that it was MS - but figured maybe it was a 62 at best because it had very little eye appeal. In this case originality was not at issue because the toning was just so awful! Everybody have a great Thanksgiving!

BillJones · November 27, 2003 12:13AM

Monroe commemorative half dollars are almost NEVER attractive. The dies were too shallow and the luster was often poor. Therefore dipped is almost a given. To paraphrase Dave Bowers, you buy an acceptable Monroe and then you move on with building your set. Monroe half dollars are never beautiful.

Here's the one from my set, which is about as original as you will ever see. The dealer from whom I bought tired three times to get it into an MS-65 hoder and never made it. It's in a PCGS MS-64 holder.

FC57Coins · November 27, 2003 12:20AM

That's a great piece Bill - You're right - Monroes and Sesquis are extremely hard to find in eye appealing condition. Had I been able to get one like yours I would've been very satified! This one however was darker than yours, and as I mentioned it had a spray of very ugly brown splotches on the obverse and reverse that made it a candidate for NCS.

wingedliberty · November 27, 2003 12:30AM

A very nice coin Frank, congradulations. I have always been fascinated by the Monroe Doctrine and its implications.

BillJones · November 27, 2003 3:56AM

Hi Frank,

I paid over "ask" for that Monroe in a dealer to dealer transaction. Like I keep telling collectors, if you stick your nose in the Gray Sheet and refuse to pay more than the bid - ask levels for coins that are hard to find and/or unusually hard to find nice, you will miss out some very good deals.

Thanksgiving Morning Guess The Grade - 23S Monroe (Revealed)

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