1900 Indian Penny

Agreeing with your shipping method--that's how coins I get on the Bay are usually shipped, and I've never had trouble *knocks on wood*

I would like to add something to the discussion here: I put this auction on my watch list and took a look at the pics via zoom, and there is a diamond visible on the ribbon near the hair. I'm also not convinced the line near the chin, lined up with the jaw and a feather in the headband, is a scratch--it actually appears to be even with the surface of the coin and in one place a little raised up. Some kind of Die Cud, maybe?

OP, that "one diamond" is a marker of wear--IHC with "four diamonds" are highly desirable, as the diamonds were one of the first details to go when the coins hit circulation. If you're able to edit your description, I would include this:

"All letters in the LIBERTY headband are mostly or completely visible, and one diamond remains on the hair ribbon." These are things collectors will look for, and having them in your auction description makes you sound like you know what you're talking about--always a plus, especially since the Bay is loaded with dishonest, lazy "got it an an estate sale, know nothing about coins" sellers. I personally would also include that the coin has great eye appeal--even zoomed in, she's lovely! I certainly have IHC in my collection that would grade higher, but don't have this one's charm.

And, of course, I'll be hanging around the auction waiting to see if I should start a bidding war I highly approve of this coin.

Ninamason,

What would you charge for a coin in this condition? Been selling everything auction style, but just found the awesomeness of Buy It Now.

Just not sure what a fair price for this would be.

Buy It Now is not all it's cracked up to be unless you set a relatively fair/low price. To be honest, bids get bids. I start all of my auctions at either .01 or .99 and let them ride. Your title is everything in a listing and will draw "watchers" period. If you're not using every single space allowed in your title, you're not doing yourself or your listing justice. Good luck!!

Rep, unfortunately 1900 is a common date, and while your coin has GORGEOUS eye appeal (hence why it's on my watch list), it's not in a high grade. That means a buck or three is really all it's going to pull. However, no harm in starting the auction at a buck and letting people decide from there--I've seen rare video game titles started at 99 cents that end ten days later at $65. It all depends on how badly someone, or more importantly two or more someones, want it.


When you auction items, remember that old saying "turn a sow's ear into a silk purse." Here is my example: I used to work for an anime convention that had to move location three times in four years. Our staff was worried about the last move because our location the year before had been poorly-received and we thought yet another move would be a problem. Rather than go "yeah, we had to move again . . . but at least this time there are elevators" I took a look at the problems the former location had had (mold, poor compliance with ADA, no good locations for photoshoots, poor lighting, we were in a basement, our video room was a sheet tacked to the wall and not soundproof, there were no cheap restaurants or food service nearby) and flipped each of them around when I wrote about our new location: "This year, EAE will be held in a newly-renovated building on the Edinboro campus! We're thrilled to welcome all con attendees to our new location, which exceeds ADA regulations for the comfort of our mobility-differenced guests. Only a mile from downtown and a short walk from the campus food court, our new location features a built-in theatre for special showings of Yu-Gi-Oh!: 5DX and Dragonball: Evolution along with our AMV contest, an expanded game room, and multiple fantasy-photoshoot locations!" Then I took some pictures of great locations on campus to stage photoshoots and included them with the description, along with some suggestions that pointed out how great they were for then-current anime like Naruto and Battle Axis Hetalia. Result? We'd been looking at an attendance of about 190, down from 306 (due to the number of complaints about our last location); I was able to bump us up from our anticipated number to 254. Still not great, but way better than if we'd gone "well, we're in a new location again . . . sorry guys." A group of Hetalia cosplayers even approached staff to tell us the photoshoot locations were a critical part of their decision to join us--it wasn't just chance.

Approach your auctions in this way. The book isn't old--it's an antique with clean pages. The shirt isn't secondhand--it's a "lightly-used vintage piece dating to 1985." Or, as my work puts it, the banana isn't rotten--it's overripe. Find the good points in your given piece (e.g., the single diamond on the ribbon of your IHC isn't as good as four diamonds--but it's WAY better than no diamonds at all), and highlight them without apologizing for how they could be better. The key is not to diminish the faults--it's to show them without apology and to suggest, where applicable, how they are double-edged swords, such as the great eye appeal of your worn coin. Think positively about your items, and other people will too.

Other good traits: Use good grammar and spelling, and use good DETAIL. Don't tell me you have "a 1900 IHC, sorry pics aren't clear." Use whatever tricks you must to get good photographs (I wasn't kidding about the shooting into a juice glass thing, it works), then tell me that you have "One Indian cent from 1900. Toned to a beautiful chocolate-brown, this coin is worn to a mid-grade but still features the full LIBERTY in the headband and one diamond on Lady Liberty's hair ribbon. The unique wear gives this coin great eye appeal and character. With a well-preserved wreath on the reverse and many clear details remaining on the obverse, this coin would make a great addition to any collection!"

Read those two descriptions, then tell me which of those two coins you'd rather buy. Now realize that all I did was write a description of YOUR COIN, based on your pictures.

. . . . yeah, you can tell what I used to do for a living, can't you.