4 Halves, 2 Bust + 2 Seated - Authenticity And Price Questions

As to value,check ebay sold values and look here http://www.numismedia.com/rarecoinprices/fmv.shtml
John1

@ Kanga, they appear that way to me too. What would you consider a fair price for the 4 when taking the fact that they have been cleaned into account? I don't mind having a few cleaned ones as examples, I think I have one capped bust and a couple Seated halves in my collection currently... I may still be interested if they have some value and can be acquired for the right price. Thanks for the advice thus far guys!

All appear genuine and excessively cleaned.



to the CCF!

I'm thinking like $180 for the lot

IMHO .... $200 for the lot would be reasonable.

I looked up the die varieties on the bust halves, hoping to have some good news for you, but they are both pretty common.

1825 is an O-114 Rarity 1
1833 is an O-112 Rarity 2

Sorry I couldn't have better news for you.

@MasterKromm .... IMHO, you got a good buy, and I, personally, don't see a downside when you sell them. There's always been a strong market for middle grade, moderately cleaned type coins.

As much as I respect Kanga's opinion, it's long been my experience that cleaning does NOT render grades meaningless; this, for the vast majority of collectors. If this was the case, there would be no differential between the value of cleaned coins graded "good" and those graded "XF." I've followed the auction sales of counterstamped (damaged) coins for over three decades now. I can say with conviction that higher grade, counterstamped coins typically fetch higher prices than do lower grade host coins. Not only does the strength of the stamping matter, the host coin's grade matters, too.

@MasterKromm .... Keeping in line with your topic, we're talking about four coins that, individually, have values of $100 or less, if original. At that level, cleaning, not the harsh kind, might lower the value say 20%. So, an $80 coin might then be worth $64 to the average collector. Of course, the higher valued coins would show a wider disparity, dollar-wise, with a $1,000 coin realizing say $800, if cleaned. That said, there are collectors who, if they like and want a coin will disregard cleaning altogether. To my experience, there are few absolutes among coin collectors.

I mentioned counterstamps for the sake of comparison, not to detract from the thread or hijack the topic. Make no mistake, these are damaged coins; being a far greater detraction than cleaning. There are many reasons that folks buy coins .... whimsy, completing sets, appreciation of history, artful design, eye-appeal, investment, etc. There are even collectors who only buy holed coins! Then too, there are folks who buy coins who don't even collect them, per se. For example, some knife and gun collectors have paid crazy prices for common coins that bore a maker's mark. In other words, what one buyer may see as trash, another sees as treasure.

Another aspect that seriously impacts the value of coins is the venue. The less folks know about coins, the more they'll pay for low end material. I once saw a single, circulated 1943 steel cent realize over $9 at an antique auction. I know from personal experience that serious collectors can, on occasion, find a bargain at an antique auction, but most buyers there don't give a darn about condition, much less cleaning. If a coin looks pretty, the sky's the limit.

Like Civil War and other 1800's tokens, counterstamped coins have much appreciated in value, steadily upward since the 1980's. I'd say that the market peaked between 5-10 years ago, softening somewhat, since. Unlike your cleaned coins, there's a far more limited number of collectors who'll buy counterstamps. Much has yet to be written and understood about them. This brings me to one more point. I heartily encourage collectors to network. JOIN A CLUB to learn from other collectors. Attend shows and chat with dealers. Seek out their opinions on your coins, the subject of how cleaning might affect value, etc. This is a great hobby, despite the pitfalls. Knowledge is king, and there's a lot to learn. Hopefully, our learning doesn't get too costly.