1859 IHC

I'd be at 40, but the sellers photos leave a lot to be desired. There is no question that $45 is a good price AS LONG AS there really isn't any EVD.

I'm at XF40. The dullness of coin is leading me to the conclusion that it was cleaned and retoned. It looks to me that the original surfaces have been removed

I am at EF-45.

Look, I'm pretty sure you posted the coin for others to give their opinions about the coin. Try not to moan about it when their opinions don't align with yours.

I think the coin has 40-45 detail. The color on these vary. It looks nice to me, but it may have been cleaned and retoned kinda flat. Either way, I like it.

That's the thing about grading, many people can look at the same coin and come up with many different grades. It wasn't as bad in the old days when we just graded G, VG, F, VF, EF, AU. All the disagreements came with the numerical system. Grading from scans/photos and the quality of each plus weakness of strike all come into play.
If the coin does not have surface porosity, I think you got a decent deal on the coin.

I think it's just a terrible scan and you'll be surprised how nice it is in hand.

I can't tell if it is a grainy photo or a porous coin, probably why grades are all over the place. With those photos, my gut sayd 'unattractive', but instead of giving it a grade, I withhold judgment until you get the coin and post good pictures. You basically did great if their pictures are crap. However, if there is surface porosity/or it is cleaned, hopefully you could return it.

I do have it in hand. It does not seem to have any porosity, but it does have a thin layer of gunk that would probably disappear with an acetone bath. The gunk is probably what gives the impression of porosity in the seller's poor photos.

I'm not very good at judging color of CN cents, but it looks normal to me. If it has been cleaned, it was a very long time ago, judging from the accumulation of the gunk. It doesn't have any luster, though.

As for grade, the obverse seems to match the XF-45 image on Photograde. It has 3-3/4 diamonds, with only one side of the second diamond (the highest one) worn down. PG doesn't show an 1859 reverse for comparison, but the coin does have loads of leaf detail with only a little rub. With the presence of detail and lack of luster, it should be a solid XF-45 (40 at the very least).

Wish *I* had bought it instead...