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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,364 |
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Valued Member
Virgin Islands (U.S.)
68 Posts |
I was gifted a round 1871 "1/4 Dollar Cal." fractional (2 wreath stalks on the reverse, left-facing female with 13 stars along the rim and date on the obverse). I'd post a pic, but I don't have a macro lens to get close enough for a clear shot, and it's in a 2-piece hard plastic holder -- the dang is so tiny, I don't want the thing to float off after cracking the holder open for a clear/er pic. Anyway, I realize "fractionals" were often created out of brass-ish metal by jewelers and such in gold-prospector California times as souvenirs for tourists.
Anyway, I don't want to mess/test with it in case it's legit (it's rather pristine), I'm thinking it might just be better to submit it to ANACS for athentication and eat the cost if it gets body bagged as a souvenir fake; if it's legit, I'm a lucky dude. Does that sound like a reasonable course of action?
Also -- thIs specimen came from from friend's late father's collection -- and judging by the collection, he collected/invested well and *very* high end (he was rather well off, salarywise and amassed quite the hoard). That's why I'm thinking it might possibly be legit.
What say you guys?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5666 Posts |
Can't say anything without pictures, front and back. You'll need to remove it from the holder anyway if you want to submit it to ANACS, and if it looks genuine, sending to a different grading company might be better. Try using a phone camera.  to CCF. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5825 Posts |
Does ANACS do currency?
I would have thought not.
I'm not even sure about NGC.
PCGS does.
It's called PMG.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
 to the CCF! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3323 Posts |
ANACS does certify / grade California fractional gold - at least they have in the past. I've seen several examples.
"Nummi rari mira sunt, si sumptus ferre potes." - Christophorus filius Scotiae
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Moderator
 United States
188080 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2333 Posts |
You're gonna have to crack it out to send it. So before you do...make sure you have supplies to put it in to something incase you break/damage the original slab...if not cardboard flips...I think ANACS takes 2 1/2 plastic flips...these are ok for short term storage.
Make space on a table and set down a towel and work on opening up that slab over it...try and keep the slab horizontal as you pry the seams open...if you open vertically...it surely will fall out. Once the slab is apart...gloves would help.
Taking pics with a phone...use some lighting but try not to wash out the coin too much...stack up some books to rest your wrist on until you can focus the coin in and snap away.
That's the easy part...
this is where most users (including myself) run into difficulties...use the link (jbuck provided above) for downloading photos...it's a little tricky...but don't get frustrated...once you figure it out...you'll be a pro send us all kinds of images to view...and we love coin photos.
Good luck and look forward to many a post from you!
smat
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Valued Member
 Virgin Islands (U.S.)
68 Posts |
Thanks for your replies, everyone. Here's as good as I could get it with the phone camera:   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
824 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
5239 Posts |
You don't need to send it off if you just want authentication. Any decent LCS should be able to tell you as much for nothing. Just don't sell it to them, although it might be interesting to know what they would pay.
If you want to keep it or sell it (if authentic) then that is a different issue
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,364 |
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Posted 12/31/2020 08:44 am
