New Addition To My Collection - 1802 Draped Bust Cent

That is a real beauty. As I'm not familiar with older U.S coins so no comments on grade from me. But I love that light halo glow effect on portrait outlline.

Looked like a new "finest known" to me when I saw it.

I like metal detecting, but the coins you dig are always trashed. Its fun to dig them, but they'll never be worth anything other than the enjoyment of taking something out of the ground that's laid there 150 years.

The reverse design is so delicate on the Draped bust. Its amazing that the stems and the bar in the fraction are still rounded. The surfaces are so smooth. I really admire that one.

Yep, I'd love to have one anywhere close to that nice for sure. It would look great in my 7070 next to the open hole where a great classic head will one day sit.

Chance

Very lovely coin with great detail. I think you are greatly under-grading this coin. If this coin grades straight, this will be an AU 50 or better. It's the grading straight part that I'm not so sure about.

I agree that its AU... This is one area where "Photograde" just ain't gonna get you there. These dies are so indvidualistic (unique) that looking at another die pairing is just "apples and oranges". I dug an AU details 1794 S-65. That coin looks nothing like the "apple cheeks" variety, or any other for that matter. You have to really know the series ... and I don't know enough to even try to give a numerical assignment. I wouldn't be real sure that the TPGs would even have the necessary expertise to make the right call. I understand that it's "consensus" ... but 5 guys who aren't intimately familiar with the series and the varieties, may be 5 times worse than just one guy without the necessary expertise.

No "one size fits all" in this area.

Chance

moxking, to answer your question - yes, this is one of the large cents in that I would like to have encapsulated with attribution at some stage.

One thing to remember is the VF-30 that was mentioned for the finest known was an EAC grade not a TPG grade. I would think this coin would also be an EAC 30. I think it is a little better than the Reynolds coin, but not quite as nice as the Holmes coin.

It was definitely one of my more memorable finds. I dug two silver Luckenbach brooches from the late 1600s here. One on the farm of the family that started the first glass making concern in the US. The second one was found on the farm of his brother. He had been president of the local GAR for a time. I dug his bronze membership star in one of the fields they used to cultvate.

Jefferson's Secretary of State lived about 3 miles from my house "as the crow flies". Amazing things happened here early on. Now, nothing happens here. Its a "bedroom town" and the young people head north to find gainful employment as fast as they can.

Best of luck with the draped bust. Its an impressive coin. Conder101's mention of EAC makes me want to go visit their site. I need a nice Classic head. I have a dug one .. an 1811, all corroded up with a hole drilled at 12 o'clock. My type set doesn't have any junk in it, and I'm not going to start there. I think I'll see what EAC has to offer.

Chance

I can recall seeing some impressive coppers on their website several years ago. I was awestruck at the time. I thought they did retail sales too. Too bad for me.

Thanks for clarifying that for me.

Chance