Just got a nice, but overgraded coin.

[BillJones]

You paid what you thought it was worth to you. They have a return policy. The choice is yours. Do you always make your own personal decisions by committee ?

 

Sometimes when you are on the fence about a coin it helps to use other's opinions as a sounding board. I've done it on occasion. There is nothing wrong with that, but in the end it’s his decision. The coin is properly graded from a technical standpoint. The question is does it suit his tastes.

 

If the picture is a true representation of the piece, I would have some reservations about it because I don’t like marks. But I’ve taken a number of pictures myself that have over emphasized marks. The picture makes them look worse that it looks when you see the coin “in the flesh.”

 

Another way to look at is, is there an MS-64 graded coin available that would please him just as much a cost a lot less? A few years ago that was very possible. Today, it seems like I have to step up to MS or PR 65 or 66 to find the piece that pleases me. The bottom line is you end spending a lot more for the coins on your list that you had planned, not necessarily because of the market prices but because of the grading and the availability attractive coins in MS-64 holders.

 

This is one more reason why this market is no fun as far as I’m concerned, and by extension the hobby is not longer as much fun.

 

[toyonakataro]

As BillJones said, it's getting harder to obtain a properly graded, nice coin at a reasonable price.

 

Seated half dimes aren't popular series and you can get "just ok" example at below sheet and sometimes way below sheet.

But you have to spend considerably strong money to get nice one even for a common date like 1862.

 

My new 1859 has too many hits for 65 and the picture doesn't show them all.

I'm not good at grading coins, but I have a few MS64s and MS65s.

When I compare with them, I have to say it's overgraded.

Hits are so small and you can't hardly see them with naked eyes, but the coin itsself is so small that you can barely see them with naked eyes

 

 

 

 

[EZ_E]

Toyo, what drew you to SL half dimes? How did you find your niche in this area?

 

p.s. You have a beautiful family! (thumbs u

[toyonakataro]

Hi Victor

I don't know why I love seated half dimes, but the first decent U.S coin I acquired as a kid was a seated half dime and I think that memories has to do with my current collecting habbit.

I like the design of seated coinage and I think half dimes are cute....but if I were rich, I might have collected seated dollars like TDN instead

 

 

[EZ_E]

I like the design of seated coinage and I think half dimes are cute....but if I were rich, I might have collected seated dollars like TDN instead

 

 

hahaha... Wouldn't we all!

 

My dad had given me a circulated SL half dime as a kid. I wish that I still had it. Some coins are priceless for their sentimentality alone.

 

I certainly admire your collection and with the wonders of digital photography, the half dimes are more easily enjoyed and appreciated. I think that applies to the trimes, too.

[RGT]

Taro,

I read this a couple of days ago before you posted the coin pictures but I didn't have time to reply. I was going to suggest you return the coin because I hate overpaying. But, you like the coin and are willing to pay a premium, and that's ok. Also, it is in a PCGS slab so you could easily get 65 money out of it to a plastic buyer.

 

On this subject, I made a post about the 1859 half dime and my search for one a while back. I did have some difficulty finding one in the grade range I was looking for and even more difficulty finding an attractive one. Check out my post here.

 

1859 half dime

 

I think that both of mine are attractive and my MS63 looks about as clean as your MS65, though I would need to review it in hand again to see what it really looks like. I like the colors on yours but I like the way the tone is distributed on mine. The key point for me is that I payed way less than you did, but I couldn't afford an MS65 anyway.

 

You have a beautiful half dime there, but you have dozens of other beautiful half dimes. Don't be afraid of letting one go if you don't agree with the grade/price. Other attractive coins will come along and occasionally at nice prices (though not as often as they used to).

[toyonakataro]

Actually, your MS63 looks cleaner than my 65, whitch I grade as 64.

But yours might have been undergraded to begin with.

I think we have to meet together and show our 1859 each other someday.

 

Although overgraded, it's not easy to come across a half dime I like.

I really appreciate your advice, but I'm going to keep this coin.

 

[Tradedollarnut]

Lovely looking coin - seems to be properly graded. As Bill says, the luster and look of the coin countered a few extra marks. Personally, I prefer that over a 'dead' but technical 65.