1868 5 cent piece

Munkey · December 15, 2007 6:26AM

The pictures are something I just now did sorta quickly which accounts as to why one side looks lighter than the other. I am getting there with this whole lighting thing... who am I kidding I suck at it, but anyways...

Can anyone tell me if that is a scratch or something else to the right of the date? Also there is some ugly crud that I dont want to mess with,any ideas for getting it off without hurting the coin? I am thinking to myself that the grade would be EF-40, am I anywhere in the ball park?

Edited to add a better picture. This one better represents what sits in my hand....

coinman420 · December 15, 2007 6:38AM

its a die crack near the date.

pure acetone may help, soak for an hour or so and then roll a q-tip over the dirt then soak again. the q-tip is ok on circulated coins but don`t do this on proof as it will probably leave hairline scratches.

your grade is probably in the ballpark although i`m no expert and others here will have better answers to grade.

IGWT · December 15, 2007 6:38AM

The coin has EF-40 details; and, judging from the pictures, I'd say there's a good chance that it has been cleaned. It has reverse IIa (rev. of '67). The line to the right of the date is the result of a crack in the die, which are very common for the series.

Munkey · December 15, 2007 7:04AM

<< <i> It has reverse IIa (rev. of '67). >>

Sorry, you lost me there?? IIa? If it was cleaned it had to be from over 40 years ago, this is from a bag that has been in my FIL garage for ever.

IGWT · December 15, 2007 7:23AM

There were 3 different no-stars hubs used to produce the dies for the run of business strike Shield Nickels. The one on your coin was the first of the three, reverse IIa, also called the reverse of '67. Now that you have posted a better picture of the reverse (and although pictures can be deceiving or not reveal all the information necessary to reach a conclusion), I'd say there's a very good chance that the coin has been cleaned, even if it was sitting in your father-in-law's garage for 40 years.

Elcontador · December 15, 2007 7:34AM

Die cracks are very common on Shield Nickels due to the hardness of the metal. The TPGs don't ding the grade for them. I agree that this coin was probably cleaned. A giveaway here is a noticeably different (darker) color in the protected areas of the coins versus that in its (open) fields.

Munkey · December 15, 2007 10:22AM

<< <i>Die cracks are very common on Shield Nickels due to the hardness of the metal. The TPGs don't ding the grade for them. I agree that this coin was probably cleaned. A giveaway here is a noticeably different (darker) color in the protected areas of the coins versus that in its (open) fields. >>

I also agree about the clean. It is amazing what comes to light when you magnify an image. I also saw the difference in color especially around the star's.

Coxe · December 15, 2007 11:36AM

Yes, die cracks, radial ones particularly, are common for shield nickels. From the images, however, I am not sure it is a crack. Could be a planchet flaw. Could be post mint damage (scratched coin). I haven't recalled many cracks crossing that much radial field and not seeing more cracks evidenced elsewhere on the die.

1868 5 cent piece

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