1853 Large Cent - Grade? Variety?

Thanks Panzaldi! The area near the three appears to be where something might have hit it. The 'O' is a ding as well. I'm intrigued by the date so I'm hoping someone might be able to help identify it.

PCGS recognizes 33 Newcomb Varieties for 1853...whew.

I would recommend reading up on the subject;

A. 1793-1814: Two books, the classic and the newcomer. Once Breen's magnum opus is published it'll be three.

1) PENNY WHIMSY, by Sheldon. Really one of the classic numismatic books of all time, on any topic. The rarity, condition census, and basal value data are largely outdated, of course, but we'll get to that later. Knowing just how rare each variety is does you no good at all if you can't tell 'em apart.

2) UNITED STATES LARGE CENTS 1793-1814, by Noyes. A wonderful attribution guide for the beginner with enlarged photographs and highlighted distinctive features of each die. The CC information is controversial, but it's certainly more accurate and up-to-date than Sheldon's.

B. 1816-1839: Three books, an oldie and two new ones.

1) UNITED STATES COPPER CENTS, 1816-1857, by Newcomb. The standard reference. For over 40 years, a handwritten (!) labor of love. Though Noyes and Wright are easier to read and use, there's still more than enough in Newcomb to make it a must-have.

2) UNITED STATES LARGE CENTS 1816-1839, by Noyes. A twin to his book on early dates, and even more of an improvement over it's predecessor as an attribution guide.

3) THE CENT BOOK, by Wright. The masterwork by the best known name in middle-dates. History, attribution, die states, some CC and pricing data. Excellent photographs. Although Noyes and Wright books do overlap, each has its strengths, and you should have them both.

C. 1840-1857: ATTRIBUTION GUIDE FOR UNITED STATES LARGE CENTS 1840-1857, by Grellman and Reiver. This book is to Newcomb what a Mercedes is to a Model T. I'm a confirmed early-date nut, and even I enjoy using G-R. It brings late- date attribution and study within the grasp of even the beginner.

http://www.eacs.org/lcctext.htm

srs77, If you're into collecting LC's for the long haul then you have to buy the Grellman, Wright, and Noyes books. It will set you back a bit, BUT, the books will most likely last your lifetime and the info is very valuable and will help you to be able to pick varieties, at substantially less $$$ than their true value, THUS, paying for the books by doing so. ALSO asking others to attribute the variety of your coin is asking for trouble in the long run. You can't believe how fun and fulfilling this is, being able to attribute LC's by yourself. You're basically talking about a $500 investment to last you a LIFETIME. Maybe half a monthly mortgage payment that could pay off in the thousands instead of willy-nilly buying of LC's....Good luck!

On second thought ... Can I have a close up of the date on your coin?

is that repunching under the base of the '1'?

It does appear as though the 1 is repunched. Looking at it through a loupe and it appears as though it could be repunched. There is a definite line beneath the one for sure. What would this mean in terms of the rarity?

So, there you go srs77, would you like to be able to attribute these beautiful coins by yourself, or, do you want others to do it for you. I'm telling you, you're missing out on great fun. And, by the way, no disrespect to both robbudo or downtownsf for trying to help you as this is very nice of them to take their time.