| Author |
 Replies: 9 / Views: 326 |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
615 Posts |
Edited by KauaiHawaiiGuy
10/30/2026 10:53 am
|
|
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
80862 Posts |
I'll say AG details.
Errers and Varietys.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
1564 Posts |
it looks like a bit of a Celtic cross counterstamp, lovely coin. I'll also say AG details for the grade.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
37322 Posts |
VG for wear, details for all the damage.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
2342 Posts |
Oh my.  You realize when you know how to think, it empowers you far beyond those who know only what to think.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
12027 Posts |
VG details
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 |
|
Bedrock of the Community
 United States
18991 Posts |
First, congratulations on your purchase! Ultimately, if you're happy with the coin and enjoy owning it, that's what matters most.
You made a good observation on the variety. It is indeed a Small Date, Large Fraction, and BN refers to its Brown color designation.
There is, however, some fairly significant post-mint damage present. Unfortunately, the extent of the damage would likely prevent most third-party grading services (TPGs) from encapsulating the coin, and it may not meet their standards for a straight grade. From a grading standpoint, I would estimate it in the AG (About Good) range, although the damage would be a significant factor in its overall desirability. The R4.5 rarity does add some premium and makes the variety an interesting one to own.
I'm curious, was there a particular reason you chose this example? One of the things I've learned over the years is that condition plays a significant role in long-term collectability. Damage, regardless of how interesting the coin's history may be, will always be a consideration when it comes time to sell or upgrade.
Depending on what you paid, you might have been able to find a somewhat nicer example of a Draped Bust cent in the $50-$60 range. That said, every collector has a different approach and budget.
My advice going forward would be to buy the best example you can comfortably afford, even if that means waiting a little longer to find the right coin. A nicer example will generally provide greater enjoyment and better long-term collectability.
I'm sure every time you look at it, you see something different. I'm sure your coin has an interesting story behind it, and that's part of what makes collecting early American copper so fascinating! they are my favorite series to collect.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
615 Posts |
Panzaldi .......... Quote:
There is, however, some fairly significant post-mint damage present. Unfortunately, the extent of the damage would likely prevent most third-party grading services (TPGs) from encapsulating the coin, and it may not meet their standards for a straight grade. From a grading standpoint, I would estimate it in the AG (About Good) range, although the damage would be a significant factor in its overall desirability. The R4.5 rarity does add some premium and makes the variety an interesting one to own.
I'm curious, was there a particular reason you chose this example? One of the things I've learned over the years is that condition plays a significant role in long-term collectability. Damage, regardless of how interesting the coin's history may be, will always be a consideration when it comes time to sell or upgrade.
Depending on what you paid, you might have been able to find a somewhat nicer example of a Draped Bust cent in the $50-$60 range. That said, every collector has a different approach and budget.
Well as I already said, I have no interest in getting this graded or in selling it for a profit, or at all for that matter. You wonder why I chose this coin? We all have different reasons why we collect, and I have noticed that my reason (don't want to spend much money) is not quite as popular as many other reasons. It does seem that most collectors care about buying the best that that they can afford, but that's just not me. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against nice looking high grade coins, I just don't want to spend that much money on my hobby. It's not that I'm poor and can't afford better, It's just that I don't want to. I'm probably as happy with this $30 coin as many would be with an AU-50 example of this coin that they had to shell out $3,000 to $4,000 for. That would just kill me .....,. lol. I'm 76, and since I have no interest in making a profit or selling the coins, I will most likely die owning the coins I have and are buying. When you get older and realize that you're going to die sooner than later, you tend tend to look at things differently then when you were younger, at least I do. It's like what's really the point of it all, there isn't any. So my reason is most definitely not for financial gain. I like the challenge of getting a bargain, finding and getting something I don't have yet, and this coin fit that niche, and the less I spend the better. This particular coin I found interesting because it had such nice definitions on the devices for a 223 year old coin that I might be able to buy cheap. I also found the damage interesting. It looks about as old as the coin itself and not something that happened in the last hundred years or so anyway. This is the first Draped Bust cent I ever tried to buy and so needed to look at the PCGS photo-grade pages to figure out how this coin would grade without the damage, and I must disagree with you and the others that called it about-good. Since I did ask in my post after-all, what others would grade it if it didn't have the damage,and not with the damage, and I think IndianGoldEagle nailed it when he said VG for wear. That agrees with the PCGS photo-grade pictures and my own assessment. PCGS has about-good as a flat outline of lady liberty and a barely readable reverse unlike this coin minus the damage. So Panzaldi to answer your question, that's why. It's just that simple, I didn't have one yet, it was a bargain at that price, I was not looking for the best or to turn a profit, just for my own enjoyment of owning a coin that Thomas Jefferson or even George Washington might have had in their pocket once, and for the bargain price of only $30. Edited by KauaiHawaiiGuy
Today 2H 36M ago
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
18991 Posts |
i hear you KauaiHawaiiGuy and understand your purchase. like I said, I'm sure she has an interesting story to tell. you had asked about grade. you received grades anywhere from AG to VG on her. a TPG would not assign a grade to it and just like any other coin the grade is subjective. most folks when they post a coin here want to know what a TPG would assign to the coin so that they have a reasonable guess of value. when we assign a grade on here, we assign one based on what we feel a TPG would grade a coin not what it could possibly be if it was a perfect example for the amount of wear. I think most folks missed the part of your question that was asking for a grade if the coin was not damaged. I'm almost certain the AG grades were a netted grade due to the damage. looking though all the damage and just the remaining devices and if it was a perfect example it would be a VG coin which is what you were asking for. enjoy her knowing that you have a piece of American history. the Louisiana Purchase took place in April of that year. Thomas Jefferson was president and the US had only been minting general coinage for circulation 10 years prior. |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
37322 Posts |
Before the grading companies came on the scene, we would have just called this one "a cull", hole filler. No grade.
|
| |
Replies: 9 / Views: 326 |
|
To participate in the forum you must log in or register.
Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use
|
| Coin Community Forum |
© 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Forums |
| It took 0.3 seconds to rattle this change. |
 |
|
Posted 10/30/2026 3:04 pm
