First Page
Previous Page
Posted 09/16/2015 4:43 pm
A 1793 Half Cent in VG. It was not in any kind of holder - raw coin! This happened at a coin dealer's shop which I frequented a lot. I was well acquainted with the shop owner, so he was very comfortable with me handling a high dollar coin. This one was a beauty - a problem-free VG, light brown in color. He had just purchased it that very morning.
Sadly, when I went back to the shop a couple of weeks later, he asked if I remembered the Half Cent. He produced it again and let me take another look. I couldn't believe it was the same beautiful coin I had seen earlier. It was now a very ugly black color! The shop owner said that he had sold it to a guy who took it home, tried to clean it with something, didn't like what happened, and returned it at a substantial loss! It was very sad to see the ruination of such a historical coin. I consider myself very priveleged to have held it in my hand pre-cleaning!
Sadly, when I went back to the shop a couple of weeks later, he asked if I remembered the Half Cent. He produced it again and let me take another look. I couldn't believe it was the same beautiful coin I had seen earlier. It was now a very ugly black color! The shop owner said that he had sold it to a guy who took it home, tried to clean it with something, didn't like what happened, and returned it at a substantial loss! It was very sad to see the ruination of such a historical coin. I consider myself very priveleged to have held it in my hand pre-cleaning!
