1927 Indian Head Quarter Eagle

Okay, here is the picture put out so that we can see it.



First thing to consider. The Indian Quarter Eagle is an incuse design. For those who do not know what this is, the image is sunk into the coin versus being raised on the coin.
With that said, wear or circulation is quite different. Strike is also different.

Let us look at the "possible" cleaning.
Look directly below the tail feathers, next to the arrows on the reverse, then directly behind the tail feathers. See the difference in color?
This also appears at the olive branch, the P and L in Pluribus, the eagle feathers near God.
On the Obverse it is near, the 2nd and 3rd stars, 5th and 6th stars, and 8 through 13.
On my first look, I thought jewelry, but the color breaks do not match up with a standard bezel.

Now lets look at grading:
Again with incuse designs, the wear is different. If you remember the Lincoln Cents in the coin grading forum, the grading starts with the design and the way the image faces.

Directly in front of the Indian, there are obvious marks. (probably bag marks). Look at the lines below RTY in Liberty, these are rub lines.
The reverse is what really kills the grade on this coin.
Look at the cross lines below the U and T in united. This coin was slid across a counter or cabinet. There is an obvious line coming from the last A in America. There are also rub marks in front of the right leg of the eagle, above the eagles head, and below the S and T in states.

When and if this coin is ever submitted to a top TPG, they are going to see a very weak strike, (which translates into less than 63 all by itself) and all the above mentioned marks, and this coin will see a 58 or 60. That is if the coin has not been cleaned. Only Anacs will grade and certify a cleaned coin. The others would more than likely bodybag this one.

However, I am willing to put my money where my mouth is:

If this coin will grade at PCGS, I will buy the coin at FULL
GREYSHEET ASK at the grade assigned by PCGS.

First of all, let me say that this is a beautiful coin.

Looking at very objectively, I think I agree with ND that this coin might have been cleaned. It's much easier to tell this with the coin in hand and I don't think it was harshly cleaned.

That said, I see the smallest signs of wear on the lettering and eagle as Nohope587 stated. I do think it's a nice coin for the AU58 grade.

If you decide to send it to ANACS, let me suggest that you break it out of the holder first if you are able to do so safely. I wouldn't want to take a chance on prejudice in grading this coin because it was in an NTC holder. I would also suggest sending it to ANACS since I feel that their grading standards are stricter and they will grade it even it has been cleaned. They also have much more reasonable prices than PCGS or NGC.

ND
This is the first time I know you coming down like a ton of bricks on a coin so I figured you were right
According to the grading book this is an XF-AU because of the red circulated area on the eagle feathers but Might make MS63 because of all the mint lustre
Since the violet area high side is undamaged
The damage is clearly slide only

Cleaned ? NO WAY Jose unless the pic is not representative ; the photograping through a holder is responsible for all deviations according to our analysing program on the pixels

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Originally posted by ageka

ND
This is the first time I know you coming down like a ton of bricks on a coin so I figured you were right

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I am not trying to come down like a ton of bricks. I am sorry if it sounded that way. I am simply trying to provide everyone with a little insight. I have seen many thousands of Indian Quarter Eagles over the past decade.
There is absolutely NO DOUBT in my mind that this coin would grade AU-55 to MS-60.
I honestly believe that there is a 75% chance of this coin being bodybagged by PCGS or NGC as cleaned, (but as I have said several times, this is based solely on the pics). If I had the coin in hand, I would be better able to give a 100% decision on the cleaning.

With all that said, I am still willing to "buy" the coin in a PCGS holder, at any grade they assign.

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I don't see any evidence of rub lines or cleaning either, but it is sometimes very difficult to detect chemical treatments from a photograph.

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This is a joke no
We submitted a dozen times coins that were acetone dipped and afterwards were MS 70 dipped and they all came back MS64 to MS 67 from one of your top tiered slabbers
You cannot possibly determine acetone by any method whatsoever existing unless you sublimate the coin and analyse the vapours
which is called a distructive analysis [:0]

I don't understand your point. I said you can't tell from a photograph whether or not a coin has been dipped. Do you disagree?

It is easy to see if a coin has been rubbed or wiped. Well-performed chemical treatments are much more difficult to detect.