Something a little different for me

[mikew148]

It's a 1953 1/2 Balboa from Panama. Not a high value coin but I've always liked the design on both sides. What's your opinion of the grade?

 

 

 

[wheat'swheats]

I don't know how it looks in hand but the counting machine marks on the nose and the rt. field kills it for me. It appears to be a proof and would grade high with out the marks. With them I am not sure it would grade.

wheat

[BillJones]

The perpendicular parallel lines that are in front of Balboa's face and a lesser extent in back of his head are not mint caused and are a distraction. If they are as obvious as they are in the photo, I'd say that the coin would be a "no grade" in a certification holder. If you take them as something is a normal part of circulation, I suppose that a net grade of MS-62 would be appropriate, but I really don't think that this coin will grade.

 

The marks on the nose don't bother me on a coin that grades less than MS-64. They are perfectly normal for a piece that has not been carefully preserved.

 

[johnny9434]

i would almost say its been cleaned but am not sure about it. i would go ms63 with the scratches on the obverse. jmo thou

[physics-fan3.14]

A few responses to the posters above me:

 

1. To the OP - the coin is a 1/4 Balboa, not a Balboa. The Balboa is their equivalent of a dollar, this is a quarter.

 

2. The coin is definitely a business strike, not a proof.

 

3. The lines you are seeing are almost certainly die polish lines, not cleaning lines. Notice how they go "under" the devices and lettering. These do not have the appearance of cleaning hairlines.

 

4. I'd grade the coin a strong 64, borderline 65, even with the marks on the nose. The rest of the coin is very mark-free, the luster is strong, and the strike is above average. Realize that in real life, this coin is about the size of a quarter.

[mikew148]

A few responses to the posters above me:

 

1. To the OP - the coin is a 1/4 Balboa, not a Balboa. The Balboa is their equivalent of a dollar, this is a quarter.

 

2. The coin is definitely a business strike, not a proof.

 

3. The lines you are seeing are almost certainly die polish lines, not cleaning lines. Notice how they go "under" the devices and lettering. These do not have the appearance of cleaning hairlines.

 

4. I'd grade the coin a strong 64, borderline 65, even with the marks on the nose. The rest of the coin is very mark-free, the luster is strong, and the strike is above average. Realize that in real life, this coin is about the size of a quarter.

 

I need to make a correction to the OP. This is actually a 1/2 Balboa. Slightly larger that the the Quarter Balboa -

1/4 balboa: 24 mm diameter

1/2 balboa: 30 mm diameter

 

Yes, it's a business strike with what appear to be heavy die polish lines. There are die cracks all over the obverse. Some have been eliminated, or close to it, by the polishing. If someone took the time to make these lines they spent a very long time doing it as the lines are inside of the lettering.

 

I hesitated when posting these large images. I left them large so the details of the lines could be seen.

 

Here are a couple more pics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[grip]

63/64,with the polish lines:)

[coinman_23885]

I agree that the lines in the field are die polish lines. I think the coin is MS64 (and no higher).

[brg5658]

A few responses to the posters above me:

 

1. To the OP - the coin is a 1/4 Balboa, not a Balboa. The Balboa is their equivalent of a dollar, this is a quarter.

 

It clearly says "Medio Balboa", which is a 1/2 Balboa, not a 1/4 Balboa.

[physics-fan3.14]

A few responses to the posters above me:

 

1. To the OP - the coin is a 1/4 Balboa, not a Balboa. The Balboa is their equivalent of a dollar, this is a quarter.

 

It clearly says "Medio Balboa", which is a 1/2 Balboa, not a 1/4 Balboa.

 

Ooops, yeah, cincuentenario is 50, not 25. Sorry about that (but it is definitely not a Balboa, as the original OP said).

[brg5658]

Regarding the grade, I would put it at MS64.

 

The coat of arms side of this coin is actually the obverse, and the bust side is the reverse. Now, with that said, the obverse (the coat of arms side) is stunning, with only a few rather non-distracting marks floating around, and a rather deep hit in the "C" of "REPUBLICA". The reverse (bust side) is quite attractive to my eye. There are some reeding hit marks under the diamond that separates MEDIO and BALBOA, and to the right of the bust in the field (though not clear from the images, this coin has a reeded edge and these types of marks are rather common on 0.900 silver coins). Also, there is some evident abrasion on the bridge of the nose and in the beard line.

 

The die repair striation marks ("die polish lines") I actually like and I think they add character to the coin. Overall, a very nice example of this coin type.

 

(thumbs u

[brg5658]

A few responses to the posters above me:

 

1. To the OP - the coin is a 1/4 Balboa, not a Balboa. The Balboa is their equivalent of a dollar, this is a quarter.

 

It clearly says "Medio Balboa", which is a 1/2 Balboa, not a 1/4 Balboa.

 

Ooops, yeah, cincuentenario is 50, not 25. Sorry about that (but it is definitely not a Balboa, as the original OP said).

 

Jason, the "cincuentenario" text on the coin has nothing to do with the denomination. This coin commemorates the 50th (cincuentenario) anniversary of the independence of Panama from Colombia in 1903 (this coin was issued in 1953). The denomination is noted by "Medio Balboa" which translates as "half balboa".

 

All of the coins issued by Panama in 1953 bear the text "CINCUENTENARIO". This includes the Centesimo, 1/10 Balboa, 1/4 Balboa, 1/2 Balboa, and the Balboa.

 

 

[physics-fan3.14]

Well I'm just all sorts of confused on this one then! Spanish! Bah! We speak English in 'Merica!

 

Regardless, its a nice coin, and I still say its a 64.

[brg5658]

Well I'm just all sorts of confused on this one then! Spanish! Bah! We speak English in 'Merica!

 

Spoken like a true southerner!

[slingshot-migration]

Harshly cleaned.

[brg5658]

Harshly cleaned.

 

It's not cleaned at all. Care to elaborate? If you're talking about the striations, they are clearly die polish lines.

[coinman_23885]

Harshly cleaned.

 

It's not cleaned at all. Care to elaborate? If you're talking about the striations, they are clearly die polish lines.

 

(thumbs u

 

To clarify for the other poster, die polished lines are created on the die from polishing. In other words, they are raised on a coin's surface. Hairlines are created on a individual coin's surface from, among other things, cleaning. These appear as depressions of the coin's surface.