Seated Dollar

wow nice buy, I type in Seated dollars and it came up half, quarters and dollars, again nice buy

thanks for the tip

I'm by no means an expert, but I'd say that one would grade in the neighborhood of VF-30.

Chancellor Sutler

It's quite possible, even likely that both the one I bought and the latest being offered have been cleaned long ago. MOST of the Seated dollars you will encounter have been. It used to be a much more accepted (or at least common) practice. Speaking only for myself, there are cleaned coins that I find offensive....Coins in otherwise great condition that have been harshly abraded, and which are scored and scratched, and those harshly polished.

There are coins that are more heavily circulated (the lower mid grade coins) that have been cleaned long ago and have regained some patina over the ensuing decades. Those specimens I find less offensive, and even attractive sometimes....as long as the seller isn't asking a ridiculous premium for them. For me....once you get to the circulated grades "original surfaces" means a lot less....because those original surfaces were lost to daily commerce a century ago.

Chancellor Sutler

Yes, there's a good chance, but I'm taking the seller's good reputation into account as much as any visual evidence in this case. He offers nice key dates and reputable slabs. However, I'm a little bothered by the rim ding at 5:00 obverse, and the chunk missing from the reverse field east of the eagle's head. I would expect this auction to end north of $300.

I don't think any of the coins shown in this thread are counterfeits. That having been said...yes this is a series where caution is a must, and some study time at the heritage completed auctions will serve you well. The Chinese fakes that I have seen...are relatively easy to spot, were obviously made on inferior (soft and carelessly prepared) dies and the rim/denticle treatment is wrong.

Study originals....and yes, a return policy is not a bad idea. Talk to the seller. I think you'll find that most of them are easy enough to get along with. If their policy is "you bought it...you got it" with no exceptions if it turns out to be a counterfeit, then pass.

Chancellor Sutler

I'm still of the opinion that you ought to wait. Take a look again at the 1842 I bought for just 40 dollars more.

That's probably an OK price on this one, but the seller describes it as being VG...which clearly it is not. It's a G-4 on it's best day, and no better. I'd rather tolerate a hole in the album than to have paid so much for a coin that, if I were to have to sell it on ebay...I would lose money after the fees were deducted.

It's really hard to trade up with low end coins.

Patience....

Chancellor Sutler

Ok, I'm going to jump up and down here strongly agreeing with ShadowCreator. Fake Seated dollars ABOUND on ebay! You are NOT going to be able to verify it is authentic via the seller photos, as many of the fakes are very convincing. Some are even die struck with proper amounts of silver exact to mint specifications. Seated dollars are some of the most heavily counterfeited US coins, and it is worth it to pay the extra 20% or so to get one that is certified.