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 Replies: 13 / Views: 892 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1499 Posts |
I recently purchased this piece in an auction. It is an 1836 half eagle. This is the second most common date in the Classic Head half eagle set. Still you don't see a lot of these coins offered these days. As usual my photography shows the coin in its worst light, and there is a scuff on the reverse of the slab. None of the lines or the scuff are as bad when you see the coin in person. Still take a shot at grading it.   |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1499 Posts |
No one is interested? Come on. I don't bite.  I am looking to discuss market grading. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
4911 Posts |
MS-62?
Feel free to call me Will.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
36844 Posts |
I'm on the fence between MS and a high AU. Lots of marks in the fields so I will defer to AU-58.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11898 Posts |
I don't see any wear but lots of bagmarks on fields and cheek. Also a few dings in obverse rim. I am also at MS60-61.
Looks beautifully struck which would bump it up to 62+ for me personally, but I don't think that would be a mkt grade unfortunately.
Grades edited to reflect further thinking.
IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.comEdited by numismatic student
12/05/2016 3:27 pm
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Rest in Peace
United States
4078 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7630 Posts |
Anywhere between 55 and 62 is my guess.
Knowing how the grading services swing things though, it could be a details graded coin to some eyes.
Still nice, whatever it is!
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10982 Posts |
My guess is MS63. The luster and strike are choice MS even if the fields look a tad under that level I have to believe the eye appeal put it at 63.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4409 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1499 Posts |
Here is a second view of this coin which is more in-line with its "in person" appearance. The reverse is actually a little smoother than what you see here.   |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Just have to go with AU-58 a well.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1499 Posts |
PCGS graded this 1836 half eagle MS-61. There is a very minor rub in the obverse field, and the fields on both sides are semi Proof-like which accentuates the field disturbance. If the piece had frosted surfaces, the rub would be far less noticeable. The coin has no major marks. This gets into the question of market grading, and which is worse, a slight rub or a bunch of bag marks. The coin with the minor rub is called an AU. The coin with the bags marks, but no wear on the features gets called "MS - something." The market dictates that slightly rubbed coin has the value of a low end Mint State piece. I can't argue with that because it's true. A really attractive AU is better than a scratched up, low end Mint State piece in my opinion. I have seen very few Classic Head $5 gold coins in Mint State holders, that I would call strictly Uncirculated. All of them had something that made me pause in giving that grade. These coins were issued at a time when there were hardly any coin collectors in The United States. Furthermore, $5 represented a week's wages or more for a lot of people. Therefore few people could afford to put such a coin aside. These coins also so a fair amount of use of a U.S. gold coin. Their gold content had been reduced to a reasonable level, and therefore the incentive to hoard, melt or export them was almost gone. This 1835 half eagle is in a PCGS old green label holder. It is graded AU-58. I was able to buy it in the face of some spirited bidding in a large auction.   Edited by billjones
12/05/2016 5:02 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1027 Posts |
I don't see any wear, just a lot of contact so I'll go MS-60.
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Bedrock of the Community
 United States
18700 Posts |
i had it at MS62 so wasnt to far off.
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Replies: 13 / Views: 892 |
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Posted 12/05/2016 1:34 pm
