Finally! She's mine, all mine! 1795 Original half dollar

[MBA101]

mmmmmm!

[EZ_E]

Douglas, I will concede about the necessity of being verse in the varieties for early type. It does seem a necessity to know about each to being able to judge the series. And, I admit that the different 1795 varieties are intriguing. Just don't expect me to collect 'em all!!! Just give me one that rocks me in my socks!

[coinman1794]

"One" of each variety...sure!

[EZ_E]

I had the one with the raised lump over the date but sent it back 'cause it only looked great in the pics.

[coinman1794]

Sounds like 109. That one is usually flatly defined, and I havent seen many quality examples.

[RI AL]

Coinman1794...

 

THANKS!!. What a terrific reply. I understand that grading these coins is an art. However, the TPG's painting all flowing hair half dollars with the same grading brush seems so inappropriate and as a result, is really doing a disservice to the collector and seller alike. I don't have any suggestions as to how to "fix" the problem, but it points out a glaring flaw with the whole TPG grading system, not just with this series, but perhaps with all very early mint issues. Seems to me there's an opportunity in there somewhere, maybe for the Bust Half Nut Club guys to avail collectors of grading opinions from the "pros", sort of like the Early American Copper guys.

 

Anyway, I appreciate your opinions on my O-108. Now that you have pointed out its strong points as far as strike, I have a new appreciation for the old gal...though she's been a favorite of mine for many a year. I remember falling in love with her (raw) at a Boston show many moons ago, and was determined to leave the show WITH the coin. I remember feeling badly that I had to trade 1 krugerrand and about $250 cash (which is all I had) for her. Even with gold approaching $900 an ounce again, I guess I did OK.

 

I'll be watching for your story that you said you'll post on this thread.

 

Again, thanks!! Alan about to get 10" of snow...again...

 

RI AL

[World Colonial]

Yup, that is pretty good.

[coinman1794]

Coinman1794...

 

THANKS!!. What a terrific reply. I understand that grading these coins is an art. However, the TPG's painting all flowing hair half dollars with the same grading brush seems so inappropriate and as a result, is really doing a disservice to the collector and seller alike. I don't have any suggestions as to how to "fix" the problem, but it points out a glaring flaw with the whole TPG grading system, not just with this series, but perhaps with all very early mint issues. Seems to me there's an opportunity in there somewhere, maybe for the Bust Half Nut Club guys to avail collectors of grading opinions from the "pros", sort of like the Early American Copper guys.

 

Anyway, I appreciate your opinions on my O-108. Now that you have pointed out its strong points as far as strike, I have a new appreciation for the old gal...though she's been a favorite of mine for many a year. I remember falling in love with her (raw) at a Boston show many moons ago, and was determined to leave the show WITH the coin. I remember feeling badly that I had to trade 1 krugerrand and about $250 cash (which is all I had) for her. Even with gold approaching $900 an ounce again, I guess I did OK.

 

I'll be watching for your story that you said you'll post on this thread.

 

Again, thanks!! Alan about to get 10" of snow...again...

 

RI AL

 

Thanks RI AL (thumbs u

 

Another problem is that picture grading guides show a hodgepodge of varieties as they go throught the grades, and they arent comparable to each other...like Photograde using a Small Head coin for their F12 example! Thats like using an 1837 reeded edge Bust half in place of a lettered egde piece from 1834.

 

 

[coinman1794]

Coinman1794...

 

THANKS!!.

 

I'll be watching for your story that you said you'll post on this thread.

 

 

RI AL

 

I will get that story up tomorrow, but it has to do with her -->

 

 

 

 

[WinstonWare]

That's one to be proud of Victor (thumbs u

[MarkFeld]

Am I the only one who thinks that part of the hair might have been re engraved?

 

 

Just kidding

 

That looks like a real keeper Victor - congratulations!

[RI AL]

Jeeeesh, Victor. Are you trying to corner the market on Flowing Hair Half dollars??? How many of these beauties do you have???

 

Envious RI AL

[EZ_E]

Am I the only one who thinks that part of the hair might have been re engraved?

 

 

Just kidding

 

That looks like a real keeper Victor - congratulations!

 

I really feel like a beat dog when the kind Mark Feld picks on me.

 

=lots of love

[coinman1794]

Coinman1794...

 

THANKS!!.

 

I'll be watching for your story that you said you'll post on this thread.

 

 

RI AL

 

I will get that story up tomorrow, but it has to do with her -->

 

 

 

 

This O-116 above is my coin and also the subject of the related story I'm about to tell:

 

I bought this in 1999 as an ANACS F15. After a few years, I decided to send it to NGC, because I had recently seen several O-116s graded VF20-25 that were identicle to this one.

 

First, I tried crossover. I paid my $30 plus variety attribution, and they did a no-grade on her, with a note saying "damage in field behind head!" I called them to explain that there was some mistake, and they described the raized area in the left field (which shows as a light streak in the image). The raized area behind the head is an obvious die clash of the eagles wing. Heavy die clashes are the prominent diagnostics of this variety, and every 116 I have seen has this particular clash. I was upset NGC could screw up like this, expecially when I paid for variety attribution! When NGC received the coin a second time, with my explaination, they called to tell me that I was right, this is a die clash, and "we would be willing to cross it over as a F12!" I said send the coin back to me

 

Second, I cracked her out of the ANACS-15 slab and sent her in under the 2 day service (still fuming, and couldn’t wait any longer). It graded F15 on the first try, no questions asked.

 

Third, I resubmitted it a year later using my free grading coupon, hoping to get the VF20 I still think it deserves, but it remains a F15 to this day. The coin has outstanding hair definition, razor sharp lettering (look at Liberty and the date), particularly well detailed eagle feathers, a well rounded body (even with obvious strike weakness around the tail feathers), strong rims (even considering the warped, heavily clashed dies that stretched and erased the detiles), and a good bit of luster--yes, this supposed F15 has VF30 quality luster in the fields and around the devices. Yet, F15 is all I can hope for when they first thought it was a 12!

 

The grading services don't spend enough time on most coins to get the grades right the first time. And, it is up to the collector to know what he/she is doing so that mistakes made by TPGs don't negatively affect them. There isn't any oversight. Many people still call the TPGs "grading gods," but clearly, they're not exactly infallible.

 

 

[EZ_E]

Yet, if it were graded properly according to strike then most would think it blatantly overgraded. Welcome to market grading, Douglas!

[coinman1794]

Yet, if it were graded properly according to strike then most would think it blatantly overgraded. Welcome to market grading, Douglas!

 

I think it's the fact that I got 3 different results (no-grade, F-12, & F-15) in as many submission is what is most disturbing about it, not that they wont give me my VF20.

 

[IGWT]

Great coin & thread. EZ does it, again.

[coinman1794]

Yet, if it were graded properly according to strike then most would think it blatantly overgraded. Welcome to market grading, Douglas!

 

If my F15 was market graded, what is this?

 

http://coins.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=29013&Lot_No=23347

 

I call it improperly dipped, cleaned, and weakly struck; but technically its a F-15

[EZ_E]

They should do the hobby a favor and melt that ugly eye-sore.

[coinman1794]

I'll second that!

[James_OldeTowne]

She is absolutely delightful! And a "shielded hair" type as well, which is a big plus!

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[shirohniichan]

Congratulations! Finding a coin without rim nicks, scratches or doctoring like yours makes the long search worth it. (thumbs u

[michael]

you are a bad boi with that flowing hair half

[RI AL]

Good story about the 1795 half, Coinman. Sorry I missed it earlier. If the TPG's would only consider strike characteristics before the slap on a number, I'd pay an extra fee for the service. F-15 is a lot better than F-12. Mine is a F-12 NGC and it really isn't as nice as yours. And that one sold by Heritage...I don't like the look of that one at ALL. Looks like it sat in bleach for a few weeks, not to mention the spots and that lovely "Brillo Pad" look.

[coinman1794]

Thanks RI AL, and that Heritage NGC-15 is dipped, improperly rinsed, and cleaned.

[Bruceswar]

Some very nice coins in this thread!