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 Replies: 13 / Views: 653 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
752 Posts |
This is a strange coin. The photos make it look a little darker than it appears in person--it has a bit more of a silver appearance, with some cartwheel luster. The third picture shows the color more accurately. I am wondering about the history of this coin. I heard that many Seated half dollars were stored in bags in the New Orleans mint when the Confederate Army took over operations. I wonder if many high grade specimens of 1861-O half dollars were in those bags when the mint was stormed. Did this coin witness history?    |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10982 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11894 Posts |
MS62. Nice strike. Looks EDS.
IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.com |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
MS-62 sounds about right.
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
18670 Posts |
I'm in the MS62 box as well.
my only concern would be the stain at the elbow and if those hairlines were intentional to attempt to remove it. there are some that appear to cross over the arm. old cleaning? some bright spots on both sides could indicate that as well. all of this could be the photos. looking at UN and AME. those areas should have the same toning as the rest of the coin but i'll give it the benefit of the doubt
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
AU53.
This is not one of the die pairs associated with possible Confederate production, no.
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
36770 Posts |
Looks like an AU-58 to me.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
752 Posts |
Thanks for your opinions. This coin is tough--I got it raw from a very old school, honorable, and conservative (in terms of grading) dealer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the very early 2000s, when she (the dealer) was already over 80 years old. I think it was either $160 or $180, and she listed it as "AU." The more I learned about this coin, I came to believe it was well preserved (and got its significant chatter on its surfaces) from being in a mint bag for years, possibly when the Confederate Army overtook the New Orleans mint. This is what I was speaking about in the original post--I wasn't asking if it was a Confederate strike, as I already knew it wasn't. I liked that this coin very well may have witnessed a historical event. I submitted it to PCGS in the summer of 2020, and they called it "AU Details--Cleaned." Having seen tons of Seated Liberty coins (mostly quarters) that have been obviously cleaned, this coin didn't look nearly as cleaned to me, hence my suprise. I had a local dealer crack it out and resubmit it to NGC, which slabbed it with this AU(55) grade. Part of me wishes they would have called it AU(58), as I struggle to find enough wear to justify an AU(55) grade. Most of me sighs in relief that it got a straight grade at all, as I strongly felt that it deserved one.  Edited by Adam590
02/18/2024 3:21 pm
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Pillar of the Community
Taiwan
606 Posts |
Nice coin. The dealer you speak of sounds like Catherine Bullowa CATHERINE BULLOWA-MOORE (1919-2017) Longtime Philadelphia coin dealer Catherine Bullowa has passed at the age of 97. -Editor From a May 17, 2017 email to members of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG): We are deeply saddened to inform you of the passing of a true icon, Catherine Bullowa-Moore. She was Life Member number 3, one of the founding PNG members when the organization was formally launched in 1954. Catherine was a good friend and mentor to many in the hobby and profession. She received the first PNG Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997, and for her decades of goodwill she received the PNG's Art Kagin Ambassador Award in 2013. Catherine passed peacefully in her sleep on Monday night, at the age of 97. She will be missed. I included an image of Catherine Bullowa taken from the 2008 video interview by David Lisot. To watch the complete video, see: PNG Living History: Catherine Bullowa, March 8, 2008 (www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2ZjAftrFaQ) -Editor Harvey Stack writes: Catherine Bullowa Moore 2010 closeupI met Catherine in the early days of my numismatic career. It was in 1947 that I traveled to Philadelphia to buy a collection and stopped into the numismatic shop of David M. Bullowa on 18th Street, I met Catherine then who was working for David and learned a few years later that they married. David died in 1953 and Catherine decided to continue the numismatic business and eventually changed the name to The Coin Hunter. She was a well taught and active numismatist and became friends to many of the coin collectors in Philadelphia. She became active in many of the clubs in the Pennsylvania area, as well as those in New Jersey and New York. She loved the hobby and the people who were active in coin collecting. She was active in the American Numismatic Association and attend many of the meetings of the American Numismatic Society in New York City. She was highly respected by her clients and collegues. She was active in many of the shows about the country and would man her table with great enthusiasm for those who stopped by. She knew a great deal about numismatics, having been initially trained by her husband when she worked with him for many years, and had the opportunity of meeting and learning from the core of great numismatists who lived in or near Philadelphia, As she got older she became somewhat frail, but her memory and knowledge of numismatics were with her till the day she passed away. All who knew her admired her skills and personality, and once you met her, she always remembered you, and would tell a story about the early days when coins were considered a "fun hobby." We all will miss her greatly, but she left a legacy for woman in numismatics which is envied by al |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
752 Posts |
Quote:
Nice coin. The dealer you speak of sounds like Catherine Bullowa @Everest. It is! Did you know her? She was a family friend. She gave me two half dollars when I graduated from high school as a gift. My father knew her and her husband well. I can't bring myself to trade in or sell my 1807 Draped Bust half dollar because I got it from her. I feel the same way about this coin. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
At least I was closer on this one! Still a nice coin.
Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
74346 Posts |
Nice coin! Good grade.  Errers and Varietys.
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Pillar of the Community
Taiwan
606 Posts |
@Adam590: I did not know her. I knew of her in the 1960's from her advertisements in Coin World and other numismatic publications. When I started going to larger shows I finally had a chance to meet her. She was a great ambassador for the hobby |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
18670 Posts |
definitely a good move resubbing it. the coin deserved a straight holder
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Replies: 13 / Views: 653 |
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Posted 02/17/2024 03:30 am
