Just Bob

This is something that I will never understand. I wonder how many of those same dealers are bemoaning the fact that "not enough is being done to promote the hobby." And yet, by their actions, they are alienating the very collectors they claim to want to attract.

I would choose Standard over Economy, since it seems you get more value. With Economy, you get a description and grade for $28. The services for Standard Tier, which costs $45: "Coins receive full attribution, are weighed, and are analyzed for grade, strike, surface and style."

I don't want to derail the OP's thread, but I don't know if a publication date has been set yet. I am not sure he has even finished researching all of the coins. I do know that the excerpts that he has posted were chock full of all kinds of information, photos, and extensive documentation. When he does get it ready, I want to be in line to put in my order. He pops in over here from time to time. Maybe he will see this thread and give us an update.

No, they do not. Those appear to be completely different dies.

Lee's book, that RWB mentioned above, will be THE Definitive Work on classic commemorative coins. In fact, it may end up being more than one volume; he has amassed so much information that one book may not be able to hold it all. I am very curious about how such a work will affect collectors' perceptions of commemoratives, and what may happen to the popularity, and therefore the prices, if the book does well.

At one time, it was an acceptable practice. I believe Whitman, maker of coin folders, even had printed instructions on the best way to do it. Now, it is taboo. ( And, YouTube idi ots are still giving instructions.) It isn't easy telling someone that Dad or Grandad (or even the dealer from whom they purchased their coins) may have diminished the value. But, as I said, they were just doing what they thought was best. That aside, I sincerely hope these are genuine.

Mr. Lange also works for NGC. He is one of the big dogs.

I will guess Fine, with a rim nick. Can you post closer pics?

Good point.

Is the design incuse, Karen?

+1

Where do you see doubling that leads you to believe that this is an example of FS-101? And where do you see a "P"?

I Don't Know

I have a feeling that this scenario could be played out in many locations throughout this country. I really believe that there are a lot more coins in the raw than most people realize. And I don't just mean common Morgans or Walking Liberties. The idea that all of the good coins have already been slabbed is way off base, in my opinion.

Thank you for the confirmation pictures. Your coin is a fake.

What does the edge of your coin look like?

Wow! Would that not be awful for a $4,000 coin to be ruined by some aftermarket plater?

That is correct. And I imagine TJ was looking to see if those lines that he pointed to were die gouges. There is a variety known as the "speared eagle" that looks like it has an arrow or spear shot through it. It's due to a line in the die, I believe.

Take a look at Seated halves on Heritage Auction's website, and you will see that most coins with that much color have some variation of a toning pattern that consists of blue around the periphery, fading to rose in the center. It isn't impossible to find one with a toning pattern similar to yours, but it does not seem too common. It might just mean that yours has progressed further. However, PCGS may feel that the coin was stripped and re-toned. Or, they may have seen something that does not show in the pictures. To answer your questions: 1) I would not send it to NCS, if it were my coin. There is no contamination to be removed, and the toning has not reached the terminal state, in my opinion. I would be afraid that removing the toning would lower the value at best, and possibly uncover some hairlines or other problem at worst. 2) If NGC sees a problem, they will also give it a "Details" grade. 3) In its current holder, it is probably a $900 coin, give or take. With a clear grade, it could jump to $1500 or better. I just saw RWB's answer. He makes a good point about the lack of luster in the photos. If it looks dull in hand, you may be better off not spending more money on it. Edit: Oops, sorry - forgot my manners. Welcome to the forum.

In 1909, William Jesse Grant went to work at the J.P. Kennedy drugstore, in Biloxi, MS. The following year he purchased the business, renaming it Grant's Drugs. He continued to run the store until his death in 1936, at which time his son, William Jr. took over. He incorporated the store in 1940, but closed it 4 years later.

What research would they need to do, in your opinion? Where would they need to look? I checked the Annual Reports of the Director of the Mint for 1973 and 1974. There is no record of any coins minted in the US for foreign countries that would be ferromagnetic, so the idea that your coin might have been struck on a foreign planchet is most unlikely. The weight is not right for a steel cent, which rules out a planchet left over from 1943. We know it isn't aluminum, either. The experts at NGC probably already know all of the above information, so I am not sure what more they could hope to discover. If you sent your coin to NGC, they very likely would test the weight, analyze the metal content, and check to see if it was attracted to a magnet. PCGS probably did the same. Weighing it would show it to match the weight of a normal cent. Shooting it with an XRF gun would show the presence of a ferromagnetic metal, probably nickel. The magnet test would confirm this. All of this would lead to the most obvious conclusion. If you can come up with an explanation other than plating, I would love to hear it.

The pictures look good. The dollar value of the coin does not equal the cost of grading, so I would not have it graded unless it was for sentimental reasons.

I am behind the times, I guess. I prefer my index in the back of the book.