1913-S Gold Indian Head $10

I'm not the best grader so first,

That's a beautiful coin. Should grade well.

Welcome to Coin Community, lux73. Nice first post.

You need to be very careful with this one. 1913-S is considered to be the second-rarest coin in the series in higher grade, and commands a substantial premium over other examples. Further, values jump considerably between grades.

The technical detail I see here is in the AU55-58 range. It may even be Uncirculated, but the eagle's shoulder and left leg hint to me that it circulated just a bit. Here's the trouble - the difference in AU55 and AU58 for this coin is about a thousand dollars of value. If it's actually Mint State, the value quadruples - this is a $10,000+ coin in Uncirculated condition.

I cannot tell from the photos whether the coin's surfaces are original, or if it's been polished. It *might* just be the nature of the lighting, but there is too much shine on the face for me to be comfortable. If polished, the value drops greatly.

What is the seller's claim of condition and value?

....with what SsuperDdave said. The obverse field next to the 3rd and 4th stars has the lovely "orange peel" texture that is seen in mint state Indian eagles. However, the central headdress feathers and the eagle's shoulder and head show dullness and loss of detail that is typical of an AU piece. That golden shine unfortunately might not be original at all, just the result of a careful cleaning.

If you can get this at a bullion-related price it might turn out to be a great buy. If it's a cleaned AU piece it won't be worth much over bullion value.

Proceed with caution if you are looking to buy this coin. My take is this does not appear to be cleaned or polished. The way the surfaces "glow" and the band of light that approximately bisects the obverse, I believe are consistent with original mint luster. The high points on the obverse, the forehead and cheek, appear to be lustrous. I am not completely sure if there is wear on the top of the eagle's left wing but it does not appear to have the dull, dark appearance caused by wear. It kind of looks like the surface that one sees when it is not fully struck. While it may grade AU-58, I have a feeling it is MS and given the marks, seems to be targeting a grade of a 63. If it grades that, it could be worth $25000+. Be very careful if you are considering this piece as you could lose $4000+ if it does not grade well.

I would only buy something that expensive if it was graded by PCGS, NGC, or even ANACs