1810 Half Dollar (Comic Guy needs your help)

[kryptospidey]

Hi Folks,

PLEASE help me out here.....

I'm one of the guys from over in the CGC Comic Forum, and I honestly know nothing about coin grading,values,ect.

I'm hoping to get some input on this coin I found at a yard sale, a grade idea, some info on possible value,ect.

I also was looking at an EXTRA FINE 45 certified on Ebay, is this coin in that area of grade or better or worst?

The coin is "dark" and I have not attempted to clean it for fear of some sort of "restored/cleaned" stigma with it prior to selling it.Is it safe to Acetone this coin, or does that stigmatize the coin as "cleaned"?

Feel free to Message me if you have more specific info that you do not wish to display publicly.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[BillJones]

The coin has some areas with EF sharpness or better - namely the eagle's right wing. The left wing has very abnormal wear, which goes beyond the issue of how the coin was struck. The obverse has VF hair detail. The coin does not look to be bent, but the wear pattern is odd. I can't see this selling for more than VF money.

[MarkFeld]

The coin looks like a nice, approximately XF40 to me, despite the apparent uneven wear.

[coinman_23885]

I always tend to be overly punitive with coins like this with weird wear patterns, but I couldn't see me placing it in anything higher than a VF25-30 holder. While I agree with the others that it has XF sharpness in place, there is too much wear on the obverse, especially in the hair, for me to be comfortable calling it anything other than a VF piece (even setting aside market grading and focusing on technical grading). With regards to pricing, I could never see myself paying more than VF money for the coin. The wear pattern is very odd.

[coinman_23885]

P.S. A pure acetone bath will not hurt the coin, but what you are seeing is mostly toning. This will not come off with acetone. The only way to remove this would be to dip the coin, but dipped coins at this grade level are almost always unattractive, and you would kill the value IMO at least. I would leave it alone.

[Walkerfan]

Don't clean or wipe it. I would grade it a VF 20 due to the heavy uneven wear.

[$ilverHawk]

Here are 2 XF45 s.

 

 

 

And here is a VF30. Not the same year, just for comparison.

 

 

The weakly struck left facing wing is well known for several of the 1810 die marriages. The OP's coin shows too much wear in the wing area, Obverse curls under Liberty and lower curls for me to think it would grade XF.

 

I think VF20 maybe 30.

 

Carl