1859 Seated Half Ti

This is a beautiful coin, I'm seeing some hairlines in the field so I think it might have been cleaned at some point. I'm going to say PF-62.

Clashed, cracked, high AU details, great strike and almost certainly polished. A Prooflike coin should retain equal luster in the smaller areas - around the lettering and under the eagle's wings - and this coin's luster seems limited to the broader areas of the fields and high points of the devices, which is a dead giveaway. I am, however, willing to be persuaded with new shots under differing lighting.

I can't imagine them allowing a Proof to leave the Mint with die cracks and clashes.

It's a real head scratcher.

The coin is from a Stacks auction. The catalogue description does not mention any alteration of surfaces nor any problems whatsoever.

The coin was described as Choice BU but the sharpness of strike actually led one prospective buyer to ask me if some of the details were tooled - lol.

Something about the luster of this coin led me to believe it was a proof; Though it appears that there are hairlines I wonder if they'e more like handling marks or even lint marks from die polishing. I wonder if the brain boys at Stacks were asking themselves the same thing. To play it safe they listed it as Choice BU. I sold it already and didnt get much for it because it looks suspicious. Maybe rubbed/thumbed? Certainly not dipped, unless very skillfully and slightly becuase some of the mint frost seems apparent.

Thanks to all who looked. More comments are welcome and appreciated!

Best
Bruce

I'm going to say MS.
Was it cleaned I don't know
It is a nice coin though