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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,500 |
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Pillar of the Community
Sweden
729 Posts |
One of my more recent purchases I would grade it in the AU range, and plenty of luster left but I'm confused with the weird looking surface on the obverse. Has it been cleaned? Mishap during striking? Die polish effect? To be more specific, it's the surface around the stars I'm talking about. The weight, density and sound tells me it's silver, so I can't see it being a cast counterfeit any and all help regarding both grade and weird obverse surface is much appreciated. Thanks in advance Anders     Edited by epikur
06/17/2012 09:42 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4989 Posts |
I would say AU details, cleaned
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Pillar of the Community
 Sweden
729 Posts |
Thing is, the luster is intact, and the odd surface seems to be oginataing from the metal itself. No unnatural scratches or something like that. Just an abnormal surface.
Can't see how a cleaning can alter the surface in that way. But I'm no expert...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3486 Posts |
I am not an expert either. I also do not think that any cleaning
would create a "bubble" effect somewhat akin to pudding cooling incorrectly.
The surface "skin" is not smooth.
Perhaps the original metal work was either incorrectly mixed or
was manufactured incorrectly.
I have seen this before but do not know what causes it.
Any cleaning would be an additional concern
and I cannot speak to that with any authority.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5854 Posts |
I don't know exactly what would cause it. My first thought was that it was caused by Die Deterioration but I am not sure about that. I was hoping Matt would be able to give you a definitive answer. I was wondering if the parallel line running diagonally across the face are scratches or part of the metal. I would guess that it might grade AU-50 or thereabouts. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3486 Posts |
Those scratches, being parallel rather than not, could easily have
been caused by sliding across a dirty bar top in a New Orleans bar as the owner
was in a hurry for a shot of whiskey!
It is the swirly, non-parallel lines that raise flags for him
if cleaning is possibly an issue.
Also, New Orleans, in his opinion, was shipped the worst of dies and of blanks.
Matt, while knowledgeable, does not readily give opinions beyond
his comfort level.
And his opinion is: "ANY decent Barber "O" coin in any denomination is gosh darn difficult to find."
This is a decent coin.
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
I'm thinking a really, really worn die. As in, so worn that the surface has receded a few thousandths, and is no longer capable of getting a perfect squeeze on the fields of the coin. Note also the area right inside the denticles, most clear above the letters and below the date. It looks like the outside edge of the die was actually crumbling there.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
36845 Posts |
Coin looks AU-55 to me. Weakly struck from a lousy set of dies as scene in the surface, lack of detail in shield and eagle, uneven (some raised, some recessed) rim denticles. It does not appear to be cleaned in the photos as it still has an original subdued luster. I think the lighting in the photo of the obverse gives it a cleaned appearance. The reverse photos make the coin look totally original.
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Pillar of the Community
Sweden
729 Posts |
Thanks all for the input. I will try to take better pics of the obverse later in the week, since that's what causing me to wonder what's going on. As most of you believe, the odd looking surface around the stars doesn't seem to be from cleaning...Need to do some CSI:ing on this kind of phenomenon... and just to make sure we are all talking about the same thing, the surface in question is marrked on this picture (original size pic) http://img820.imageshack.us/img820/...scf4133a.jpgthanks again for all the input Anders Edited by epikur
06/17/2012 8:06 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
36845 Posts |
In the 1970's coin whizzing was popular with hucksters. They would use a high speed wire brush to brighten up the surface to give it a fresh mint look trying to recreate the "chartwheel" luster. They would treat EF-AU coins and pass them as BU. Under magnification you could see where the surface had been roughed up. In the lousy lighting that you use to find in coin shows, these coins did look BU to the naked eye. Sometimes it looked like what you are showing on your surface, but I do not believe that is what happened to your coin. Yours looks like either a bad planchet or obverse die. The reverse of your coin does not show the same problem.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3486 Posts |
Nnote tto SsuperDdave,
While we await new pictures from our friend epikur in Sweden,
could you provide any information concerning just how many quarters
would have been made before the die wore to the point
that you described?
I just remembered today that many contemporary nickels have this
same "bubbly" surface. An entirely different metal composition.
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Pillar of the Community
Sweden
729 Posts |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,500 |
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Posted 06/17/2012 1:44 pm
