It took a long time, but I finally got the one I wanted...

[acan451]

I have been looking for so long to find this commemorative in just the right condition.

But I finally found one, followed it for six days on eBay, and won it.

I have allways liked this coin and the waiting was worth it.

I hope you enjoy this coin as much as I do,

Alan

 

[Mark T]

Maybe it is the lighting but the coin appears to have been cleaned.

[michael]

it is the lighting sorry to say

[djdilliodon]

It looks like its been polished?

[PerryHall]

Looks cleaned. Consider the cost of this coin to be a tuition payment toward your coin collecting education. We've all paid our tuition when we first started collecting.

[bsshog40]

Yea I have to agree, this looks to have been polished.

[BillJones]

Yes, I'm sorry to say that the coin appears to have been polished.

 

For about $75 to $80 retail, you can get a certitifed Combian Expo half dollar in NGC or PCGS MS-63.

 

This piece should be in an MS-64 holder, but PCGS called it MS-63. For the money this as about as pretty as these coins get for less than $200. I paid $125 years ago mainly because of the toning (color).

 

[Keigwin]

Alan, maybe better pictures would give us a different impression. Don't be offended, but those are lifeless and make the commem look over-dipped or polished. Change the lighting, show some luster. It seems very likely it was cleaned. But let's hope not ruined.

Lance.

 

P.S. Bill, that is a stunner! I have a few of these Columbian's but none is as pretty as yours. Let me know when you tire of it! .

[acan451]

Thanks to everyone.

I was able to get my money back, so I have learned a lesson.

Thank you all for your honesty and advice.

Alan

[bsshog40]

Alan, if you ever have any questions on a coin that you are wanting to buy, grab the pic of the coin and post it here and get opinions. Much easier than having to deal with the returns of a bad coin. You can also pm me with a link if ya want, I would never try to bid against a fellow friend. (thumbs u

[BillJones]

Alan, I don't know if you go to any coins shops, but lightly circulated Columbian half dollars do show up in their inventory from time to time at fairly low prices. When the silver prices were in the dumps, these coins sometimes traded for not much more than the junk silver price. Today because of the junk silver price they would be more.

 

A large number of Columbian half dollars were released after the Columbian Expo ended because they were used to pay debts from the Expo. Later, unsold commemorative half dollars were returned to the mint in melted for most issues. That was a fait thing to do for those who had paid more than face value for them.

 

The Columbian Expo half dollar is not hard to find, just as a coin, but finding examples with their original surfaces that are attractive is a bit of a challenge.

 

My picture does not show all the luster, but this piece has the more typical look of a run of the mill MS-63 Columbian half dollar. If you only want an inexpensive example of the coin an unfooled with circulated piece might be for you.

 

[jom]

P.S. Bill, that is a stunner! I have a few of these Columbian's but none is as pretty as yours. Let me know when you tire of it! .

 

 

Yeah, that's a great coin. But even Bill's photo can make you think otherwise as the white balance on that is WAY off. But after awhile you learn to decipher photos like that and you can tell that's probably a stunner. Believe it or not every once in awhile there will be something like that on eBay and you end up cherry picking a nice one...not very often though unfortunately. Just did with a CBH recently...

 

Thanks to everyone.

I was able to get my money back, so I have learned a lesson.

Thank you all for your honesty and advice.

Alan

 

Glad you got your money back. And don't hesitate to ASK QUESTIONS or show pictures. It's very educational as you probably know by now.

 

jom

[L1ncolnF4n]

Circulated Columbians are almost always mixed in with our 90% half bags.