1807 Draped Bust Half Dollar

After cleaning up the drool I got down to thinking on this one.

It presents every appearance of a Condition Census coin for the year. O-105, I think, and I'm hard-pressed for a reason not to believe it MS64 or better. It's more strongly-struck than I'm accustomed to for these, and those wingtips simply don't lie. No way this coin has circulated. It's been suggested to me that maybe the obverse is tooled; won't testify against that but in research I honestly had a hard time finding any this well-struck to compare details.

I think the clashing and subsequent polishing might have erased the concentric polishing lines sometimes seen on coins struck this well. Only that and the slight flattening of the right hand stars keeps me from thinking this one a Specimen strike. The color is believable to me.

I'm prepared to believe just about anything on the label, but I'm taking a deep breath and calling this one of the few righteous 65's known for the date. As such, the price of admission would be north of $50k. What a coin.

I'm crying now.

patience

I'd sell my whole collection for that coin absolutely stunning

That's right. So this coin in a MS-64 slab is worth 20-27K.
In a MS-65 slab its 40-70K and top 20 known. It's not in one of those slabs though. It looks like MS-64 to me and the toning does not look unlike a lot of coins in those slabs at heritage. Like I said this is way out of my wheelhouse I have never paid more than $200 for a coin. It sold for $3305. I got out bid in the last 4 seconds. I think I could have cracked it out and got it regraded. Even in details it's super nice and probably underpriced.

Details or not I'd have climbed over you to throw that kind of money at this coin. I'd be surprised if the winning bidder would have let you stay anywhere near your comfort zone, though, so you did the right thing.

I was already out of my comfort zone. I was literally outbid in the last ten seconds . I'll never know what his max bid was though.

Oh, I own the 1865 3c. Its a raw coin and my new favorite. Someday I'll probably get it graded but I like looking at it now and don't want to seal her up yet. But if I got this one I'd forget about the 3C in a heartbeat. This one's got cleavage! I guess it will be my fishing story.