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 Replies: 19 / Views: 7,254 |
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Valued Member
United States
317 Posts |
I found this coin on ebay and I'm considering it....I'm putting together a type set, and I don't want to resort to the boring 1875-S. Does this look like a genuine impaired proof of this date or not?   |
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
It does not look like it to me Terror. Lets see what others say.
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Valued Member
United States
149 Posts |
Nothing is yelling at me that this is not genuine.
The thing I noticed is the 8 appears to be up a tad, as it does on all the 1877 20c... and the shape of the 7's
(And I enjoyed seeing the "Boring 1875-S"... not many people have one of these, let alone in their type set.
Even with not accepting returns, I'd still feel confident buying this piece with the buyer protection from ebay/paypal.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1372 Posts |
The copies I have seen never get the stars right...meaning that they are flat and do not have centers. They also never get the rim right. The fields are frequently wavy where these are quite flat. This is a genuine US minted coin IMHO....but with PayPal buyer protection, you're covered if it turns out to be fake. I don't know what the markers are for the proofs...but that doesn't suggest a proof striking to me.
The only negative I see is the color looks a bit strange....and that could be related to having been cleaned and stripped of mint luster long ago.
Chance
Edited by Chancellor Sutler
03/17/2010 08:17 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8904 Posts |
IMO, it looks genuine.
It's a nice one!
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Stop. Wait a minute. Get some perspective. No 1877 circulation strikes were minted. Only 350 Proofs were struck. There were only 350 of these, ever. And this guy's Mom happens to have a "small box of coins" containing one? Figure the odds. I would consider this auction a lottery, and approach it accordingly. If real, the coin is worth well into 4 figures. If not, well, how much money are you willing to throw on a remote chance? I might consider bidding, but ebay is rife with stupid people and I suspect this will go for stupid money. My heart says, "try," my head says "not a chance." |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1372 Posts |
I was unaware that the 1877 was a proof only....and that changes things a bit. Now we have a real motive to counterfeit. I'd want super high rez pics before I bid on that piece. I wanna see die markers.
Chance
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Yeah, if you're going to counterfeit a Twenty Cent, this is the one. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
From what I see, I think it has a fair chance at being real.
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Valued Member
 United States
317 Posts |
Thanks for the input everyone! I think I'll keep watching it and see how high it goes. I have a price in mind, which is lower than I would go for a certified piece. I'll bid on it, and if it goes higher, I'll let it go.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
8904 Posts |
SuperDave has a good point. I would not consider this coin to be a proof quality. And since there were no circulation strikes...  It makes one think... Maybe a slabbed version would be a good idea? |
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Rest in Peace
United States
4849 Posts |
It does look like a real 20 cent piece. Possibly an altered 1875. If I were to bid on it, I would require refund priveleges if rejected as genuine by a TPG. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1882 Posts |
To the right of her knees...does the photo or coin look altered, as if the word "COPY" was there at one point in time? Return privilege would be easier to deal with than ebay protection plan. |
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Moderator
United States
188213 Posts |
Interesting. It could be a picture of a real coin, but you have to consider the chance that this is not the coin you would receive.
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Valued Member
United States
317 Posts |
I've since decided not to bid on it. I just don't feel right about it....it's too shady. Maybe I'll think about picking up the 1875 Philly that my local dealer has right now instead. Thanks everyone for all of your help, and sparing me a potentially expensive blunder.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1372 Posts |
Good observation by Steve199. I messed with the exposure, and there's something going on there alright. Chance  Edited by Chancellor Sutler
03/17/2010 1:45 pm
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Replies: 19 / Views: 7,254 |
Posted 03/17/2010 02:03 am
