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 Replies: 5 / Views: 1,277 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6370 Posts |
I had recently walked into a coin shop and saw a very nice, original 1809 Half Dollar that I'd grade VF-20 (dealer said F-15+). When asked how much he wanted, he said $200. I was hesitant to agree to that, so I passed and did some research on ebay. Turns out that the same coin in the same grade was selling consistently in the $90-130 range, much less than I had expected. So I did some exploring, and I found I could get an even nicer 1808 for about the same price. I have been wanting an 1807 or 1808 half dollar for a while due to the scrawny eagle on the reverse, and the coin overall has a cruder look reflective of the turbulent early days of the US mint. Then I found this one. She has some marks, a rim bump, and a few light scratches, but I felt she looked quite nice. There was a lot of detail in the eagle, which was a "must." The obverse detail (or rather the lack of it) was interesting to me as it was a a nice example of the strike problems that plagued the earlt capped bust halves. I had also been wanting a CBH that required grading from the reverse, and this one fit the bill. Lastly, my only CBH I own is certified (I don't feel safe cracking that beauty out), so there was an ugly hole in my type set even though I had the type. So, that pushed me overboard into buying this coin as it would be filling a hole (literally) as well as adding a sub-type to my collection (still need an 1825 to complete the trifecta). And the best part? She was only $100.  Now enough reading. Here's my coin. I felt I would get a consensus of VF details in the grading forum, so I posted her here instead. I also have her at O-108 (R-3). Correct me if I'm wrong.   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1963 Posts |
Definitely would be a details coin. VF Details, maybe cleaned.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10982 Posts |
Not sure on the variety and it looks 50/50 on grading. I believe your images accentuate the obverse hairlines and the small gouges could get a pass with a slight net grade. The coin easily makes VF on a technical grade. If it went problem-free a 15, or maybe even 12, is likely. $100 certainly sounds like a very reasonable price.
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
Decent example for the price. The 1808 is a fun ugly eagle to find. Congratulations.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
11880 Posts |
Nice! I have had my 1808 CBH for 29 years. And I still love her.  Gotta post a shot of the lettered edge! 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
01/24/2017 10:29 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
If you like it, that's what counts.  |
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Replies: 5 / Views: 1,277 |
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Posted 01/24/2017 8:53 pm
