1881 - Interesting Indian Cent - Had My Eye On This One - Can You Find Out Why?

good possibility of a Snow 8 missing or over polished ribbon ends on the reverse and shorter arrow heads. Don't see the little spot left over though. These photos don't make it easy to tell, it does look like recutting or Longacre's Doubling on all the reverse lettering and would be well worth a $20 bid to find out if it is.

I don't think it's Struck Through Grease or washed out weak strike, I believe it is just the angle of the camera, the lighting and the Mylar plastic glare that is tricking us. Looks like a nice XF minimum or maybe an AU so that $20 is a bargain if it turns out to be a Snow 8 and if not it's not like you loose any real money as AU is around $25-30 anyways.

the surfaces, especially the obverse, is not looking right. possibly photos but it appears to have been polished/cleaned and maybe even re-colored. I hold for in-hand photos before making an assessment.

So if you now own it, why can't you remove it from the holder for a better pic?

Coinfrog, just because I bought it doesn't mean it's been delivered yet. Patience... (of which I have none). ;>)

Got it, thanks!

Well, I never thought I'd be updating this thread - been quite an odyssey to get this coin in hand. Ordered in early June, lost in the mail - no tracking. Weeks later returned to seller. He mailed again and it was returned to him again for some postage mixup. I said keep trying, I want the coin. Finally arrived today - over 5 weeks after order. Pictures of the coin in hand. Turns out you were all right about the terrible obverse picture - soft areas of photo were just a lousy picture. Looks like a pretty solid EF45 to me - definitely a Snow 8. I could not be happier! My out of pocket is about $22 including shipping. No charge for the aggravation...

Whoo-Hoo! That's a nice cherrypick, and the anguish you had to go through, I totally understand. Happened to me once with horrible results. Long, long time ago, say 1997 maybe, I bid on and won a large group of 26 or so Morgan dollars they had been scanned all together on a scanner not the best images, but there was an 1878 8/7 TF variety VAM 44 the King of the VAMs an 1878 VAM 9 and an 1878-S long Arrow nock and who knows what else, I put in a high bid ended up winning it for just over bullion cost. Seller also had another lot similar of Peace dollars up for auction at the same time and that is what arrived to me, the seller mixed up the packages. Much as I tried to get the other lot returned and sent to me, the seller couldn't convince the other buyer to do the right thing as the Morgans in just bullion were worth more, there were a few more Morgans in the lot than the Peace dollar lot had. Doubtful the buyer knew anything about VAMs as hardly anyone looked for them in 1997, and there was no indication of VAMs in the lot nor in most any lot on ebay then. So to know you ended up getting the Indian Head cent after all that is a nice ending Blastenpene4!