Braided Hair Large Cent; Dumb Luck Variety. GRADE POSTED.

[SkyMan]

While I certainly like copper coins, they are not my collecting focus. Here is a Large Cent I picked up at Santa Clara as an example for my Type Set. I'd be intrigued at what you grade it (I'll post it's grade later). It is in an old PCGS Rattler, and it certainly looks in hand to be a point higher than the old grade. This is a coin that just SCREAMED out of the dealers display case.

 

The white spots at 11 and 3 o'clock on the obverse, and their offsets on the reverse, are the holder. Also, being in an old Rattler the coin has rotated a bit in the holder, knocking off flecks of plastic, so the little white flecks you see (and the "skidmarks" around 3 and 6 o'clock on the reverse) are from the holder. One thing that was a bummer was getting the coin home and in a different light, and noticing that what I thought was a plastic flake at the top of Liberty's head has a definite light green tint, so that may be verdegris there. Of course, the coin has been in the holder for ~20 years, so even if it is verdegris, it is certainly stable. Also, don't forget how much this coin is blown up in this image, so you get an idea of how small the spot actually is. As per norm the faint white scratches/lines are on the holder as is the spotted faint white haze behind Liberty's neck.

 

Anyhow, as to the title of this post, as I mentioned I don't know copper varieties. This coin, being in an old rattler, did not have anything about varieties on the label. The dealer did not catch it either. Bob Campbell and I were discussing the coin yesterday when he mentioned that it looked like a "slanted '55" variety, and low and behold it was. The "slanted '55" variety, is about 11 times rarer than the common "upright '55" variety, and as you might imagine, it is pricier than the upright variety. Needless to say, this made me a very happy camper, although as a collector I was already happy with the coin just because of the way it looks. Bob imaged the coin, and I think he did an excellent job.

 

 

EDITED TO ADD: Grade posted below.

[MikeInFL]

Gorgeous coin, Sky!

 

I'd guess PCGS graded the coin 64 RD. In my experience they are tough on spots (although I must admit I don't see many old RD rattlers), and if I might be so bold and to assume that's right, I'd wager that's why it didn't grade higher.

 

By the way, although the slanted 55 is rarer overall, it is only roughly 10% pricier in PCGS/NGC 64 and above -- due to (I believe) a hoard of these coins in high grades.

 

Regardless, that's a awesome large cent (with a fabulous strike!), and a coin I would be proud to own. Congrats...Mike

 

 

[bsshog40]

That is a very nice Cent there Sy. I will agree with Mike here as to it being MS64. If it has a little more luster than what the pic shows and the green spot was gone, I could see this going to 65. JMO

[MunkyMan95]

Sorry dudes, that coin is a 65 all day long. I can't see it in anything less than a 65 holder. Beautiful coin.

 

That's a beautiful 65RD coin.

[EZ_E]

I agree with the consensus: MS64 Red, limited by the carbon spot.

[rrantique]

Sorry dudes, that coin is a 65 all day long. I can't see it in anything less than a 65 holder. Beautiful coin.

 

That's a beautiful 65RD coin.

 

I agree with Chad here, beautiful Sy congrats. (thumbs u

[Hoot]

I like the coin, and I'd call it an MS62, although the color bugs me a bit - too pink. Nonetheless, a worthy specimen. Congrats!

 

Hoot

[James_OldeTowne]

I'm glad Hoot mentioned it first, as I thought the color was just a tad "off" as well, but that could easily be an artifact of the imaging (white balance). So, I'll assume the color is good, and would guess the commercial grade as MS-63 RD. The strike is really nice, and I like the coin plenty!

[Conder101]

There are three slanted 5 varieties in 1855. One of them is a proof only variety and this isn't it. Both of the other two, N-9 and N-10 are R-1 coins, very common. Yours is a N-10 in an early to middle die state.

 

The N-9 is the much more popular of the two since it is the famous "Knob on ear" variety which is actively searched out by both variety and non variety collectors. The non-variety collectors normally want and example with a well developed knob, but the variety collectors often want a die progression series from the early no knob through the terminal state. There are something like 22 different states of that obv die progression. There is a nice picture of a middle die state in the Redbook. (The knob get a lot bigger than the example shown in the book.)

[Treeman]

Photo's can make a brown coin look somewhat red, so my guess is MS64RB, but I do think it may make 65 on a regrade.

[dleonard-3]

The mark on the shoulder curl, and several other small marks on the obverse are enough to make me think MS64. The spot doesn't bother me much, but it would probably drop it a point. The reverse looks pristine. I don't think anyone can critique the color accurately from an internet photo, but it looks great to me. I'm sure PCGS would call it Red/Brown. If this coin upgrades to MS65 Red, I would be surprised, but not shocked. Any way you look at it, you have what I would consider a "CHOICE" gem Large Cent, and I envy you.

 

It's just plain GORGEOUS to me.

[texasrichard]

I'll take a shot at the grade....

 

I'm guessing MS65RB.

 

Looks great !

[MikeInFL]

If that coin is RB it is the most RD RB I've ever seen...Mike (who has certainly been wrong in the past)

[robec1347]

The color on this coin is one I haven't seen on a copper before. Here are several images I took of the coin as it came from the camera. The color does actually represent the color of the coin. I have no idea how it came by this color, but it is quite attractive in hand.

 

 

[SkyMan]

Thanks guys! The coin is graded MS65RB in the old Rattler.

 

Like I said, I don't know that much about coppers, so I don't know how much the carbon spots affects the grade, but realistically there is the spot at 2 o'clock and a little something at the top of the neck, but that's pretty much it... certainly by bare eye or even by low magnification. Other than that IMO it is very clean for the grade, has a solid strike and has great luster.

[Raybo55]

Great coin!

But I like my copper brown.

 

Ray

[rexcat]

Sweet pick up for your type set Sy! (thumbs u

 

Hard to do much better...

 

 

[NoTwilight]

Skyman,

I guessed 65RD and attributed it for you as well as posting my 65 BN example of the N-10 variety across the street. . If I'd known you posted it over here where the copper gurus hang out I'd have just come over here and read about it from them.

 

Super nice coin.

 

--Jerry