Coin Community Family of Web Sites
Shop for APMEX Bullion on eBay!Royal Canadian Mint products, Canadian, Polish, American, and world coins and banknotes. Coin, Banknote and Medal Collectors's Online Mall Vancouvers #1 Coin and Paper Money Dealer 300,000 items to help build your collection! Shop CCF Members on eBay! Specializing in Modern Numismatics








Username:
Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?


This page may contain links that result in small commissions to keep this free site up and running.

Welcome Guest! Registering and/or logging in will remove the anchor (bottom) ads. It's Free!

Where's The Plug? 1797 Dollar

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.
Author Previous TopicReplies: 12 / Views: 911Next Topic  
Bedrock of the Community
numismatic student's Avatar
United States
11880 Posts
 Posted 02/02/2024  3:31 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add numismatic student to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
This is a TPG coin that is designated as having been plugged. Spent some time looking at this coin and it seems to me like the plug was filled in on the obverse to the left of the date uner the lowest lock of hair in liberty and under the 2nd T in STATES. But it is so well done that I cannot be sure. Are you able to clearly see the plug? The plug, restoration of hair, lettering and finishing to match adjoining surfaces look scary good.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/145556085624
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.com
Pillar of the Community
Learn More...
hokiefan_82's Avatar
United States
3634 Posts
 Posted 02/02/2024  4:00 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add hokiefan_82 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Impressive work, whoever did it. I'm not able to tell with any certainty at all where the plug is at.

I've occasionally seen before/after pics from one restoration expert (his name escapes me at the moment) where even knowing definitively where the repair was it was virtually impossible to spot it. Makes you wonder how many of these get missed by the TPG's!

Another reason I never buy a higher-dollar coin raw.
Member of SPMC, FCCB, ANA and ANS.
My U.S. Classic Commemorative Complete Set: https://www.NGCcoin.com/registry/co...sets/278741/
My U.S. Fractional Note Set: https://notes.www.collectors-societ...eSetID=34188
Edited by hokiefan_82
02/02/2024 4:00 pm
Valued Member
TimNH's Avatar
United States
416 Posts
 Posted 02/02/2024  4:16 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add TimNH to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I own a pretty similar coin, called Details plugged by PCGS, it clearly has a little smear/repair on the obverse, but I swear it has no visible repair on the reverse side. I've always wanted to resubmit it and see if I can get it re-labeled 'repaired', which to me looks a lot less horrible than 'plugged'.

Likewise I have a 'graffiti' coin which is surely the least inspired graffiti ever, it just looks like random scratches to me. A resubmit might bring it back 'Details - scratched', which to me is a nice upgrade over 'Details - graffiti'.

I know folks often resubmit hoping for a higher number, or to get a Details reversed, but in cases like this one might resubmit in hopes of getting a "less bad" qualifier.
Pillar of the Community
thq's Avatar
United States
3342 Posts
 Posted 02/02/2024  4:19 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add thq to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
It looks like it went through the top of the second T in STATES, and comes out to the right of the last 7 in the date. Vestiges of a circle are visible in both places. The repair to the top of the T is pretty crude.

I once had an ugly shiny 1872-S dollar. I fried the coin very hot in a pan. This caused the shiny plating on the coin to shed off, revealing a plug. Without that treatment the plug was impossible to see.
"Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
Edited by thq
02/02/2024 4:31 pm
Valued Member
United States
202 Posts
 Posted 02/02/2024  5:02 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add apcol258 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
I've occasionally seen before/after pics from one restoration expert (his name escapes me at the moment)


You are likely thinking of Allen Stockton.

https://crsstockton.com/
Pillar of the Community
jacrispies's Avatar
United States
3848 Posts
 Posted 02/02/2024  5:11 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jacrispies to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
@numismaticstudent You are correct, the hole was underneath the hair curl (left of date). The opposite reverse side is the first T and the left side of A in STATES. You can see the letters were re-engraved, along with the poor job on the hair curls and dentils.

I bet, with the assistance of a loupe, the lower-tier craftsmanship will be more apparent.
Suffering from bust half fever.
Want to learn how to attribute early half dollars by die variety? Click Here: http://goccf.com/t/434955
Shoot me a PM if you are looking to sell bust halves.
Bedrock of the Community
numismatic student's Avatar
United States
11880 Posts
 Posted 02/02/2024  6:44 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add numismatic student to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
The first T in STATES does looks unusually sharp compared to the adjacent lettering and may be a better match to the location of the obverse plugged. Nice observation.
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.com
Pillar of the Community
Learn More...
hokiefan_82's Avatar
United States
3634 Posts
 Posted 02/02/2024  7:09 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add hokiefan_82 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
You are likely thinking of Allen Stockton.

Yep, that's him.
Member of SPMC, FCCB, ANA and ANS.
My U.S. Classic Commemorative Complete Set: https://www.NGCcoin.com/registry/co...sets/278741/
My U.S. Fractional Note Set: https://notes.www.collectors-societ...eSetID=34188
Bedrock of the Community
Learn More...
HondoB's Avatar
United States
24906 Posts
 Posted 02/02/2024  7:44 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add HondoB to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Adding images from the auction for posterity.

Where's-The-Plug?-1797-Dollar
Where's-The-Plug?-1797-Dollar
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
Bedrock of the Community
Coinfrog's Avatar
United States
94367 Posts
 Posted 02/02/2024  7:49 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Coinfrog to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Plug appears to be above the top hair curl on the obverse.
Pillar of the Community
kbbpll's Avatar
United States
4233 Posts
 Posted 02/03/2024  01:43 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add kbbpll to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
TrueView https://www.pcgs.com/cert/47861031
I like how they scratched in the denticles.
Where's-The-Plug?-1797-Dollar
Pillar of the Community
Portugal
655 Posts
 Posted 02/04/2024  1:14 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jecz79 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Agree with the first T in states being re-engraved. That sharp letter screams repair. Have been burnt with repaired plugs in other old coins. Always check carefully near the rims in any expensive ones. They are worth enough for people do do these things.

The obverse, this last photo exposes it. Very well done, scary. Would be spotted in hand but missed in normal photos.
Edited by jecz79
02/04/2024 1:15 pm
Pillar of the Community
jason39305's Avatar
United States
743 Posts
 Posted 02/05/2024  4:55 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jason39305 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I could make out the repair to the left of the date right away. The reverse was a little harder, but that "t" is indeed very sharp.
  Previous TopicReplies: 12 / Views: 911Next Topic  

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.



    




Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us  |  Advertise Here  |  Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum © 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Forums
It took 0.42 seconds to rattle this change. Forums