1848 Quarter Eagle

[DMusich]

This coin was in a case found in a box hidden in a tackle box that was purchased at an estate auction. The old man who hid it there had passed on some 20 years ago and the estate was sold after his wifes passing.

 

We took it to a couple places around here and done some online research. The local guy had no idea what it was and offered $150 for it. It is in need of grading and slabbing but I wanted to get a feel from others involved with coins before doing this.

 

 

[Coindude]

Welcome to the forums. Hopefully someone who knows more about these than I do can give more information. For one the coin looks cleaned. Please do not attempt to clean this con. I'm glad you didn't accept the offer of 150 for this because if it's real it will be worth multiples of that. Gold with a D mint mark are extremely desirable and exceedingly hard to find but be aware that because they are so desirable makes counterfeiting them quite a possibility.

[Mark T]

The coin appears to have details of XF. Your photos are blurry , I think the color in the photos is off especially on the reverse picture. From the photos I cannot tell if the coin has been cleaned however I am leaning towards that it was. What is that green stuff on the obverse of the coin ?

I also cannot determine if this might be a counterfeit. I suggest you find a good coin dealer to have it authenticated and to determine if the coin has been cleaned. Then you can decide if you should send it in for grading.

 

[DMusich]

I am working on getting better pictures of it. If it was cleaned it was well over 20 years ago which is still possible given the age of the coin. The reverse is a lot more crisp and detailed than the front as the front was up against the clear plastic of the case and the rear was against the foam (the green stuff). I am looking at having to drive a couple hours at least to a good dealer as the offer came from the "most reputable" dealer near our area.

 

Thank you for the input and I will keep updates on this and some of the other coins that were in this collection including a couple CC Morgan Silver Dollars. I have added a lot of what we acquired uploaded to the NGC registry so I have a good database of what we have.

[coinman_23885]

My advice would be to solicit the opinion of an expert dealer. I would recommend sending this to Doug Winter to see if he will authenticate it for you, and If it is genuine, to submit the coin for grading. If it is authentic, the coin is very valuable. Although I would never attempt to authenticate it based on blurry images (which have now been removed), I will say that I have several concerns:

 

1- While I can't rule out a striking issue, the way the rim and denticles merge (even accounting for potential abnormal wear) strikes me as very odd. The rims on the obverse also bother me.

2- The surfaces look awfully smooth for a coin at that grade level.

3- There is something bothering me about the reverse legends, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

 

[Coindude]

Kenny, I was thinking the same about the reverse lettering. The legends look very pyramid like.

[$ilverHawk]

This coin was in a case found in a box hidden in a tackle box that was purchased at an estate auction. The old man who hid it there had passed on some 20 years ago and the estate was sold after his wifes passing.

 

We took it to a couple places around here and done some online research. The local guy had no idea what it was and offered $150 for it. It is in need of grading and slabbing but I wanted to get a feel from others involved with coins before doing this.

 

 

 

The date on this Quarter Eagle is 1848 not 1843. IMO you have a very bad copy/counterfeit coin. On the Obverse, the date is jammed together , the tilt of the first "8" is off and the "1" in the date infringes on the base of Liberty. On the Reverse, note the upper serif of the "D" in united, note the position of the "1" in 1/2. There are many other issues. See link attached.

 

http://coins.ha.com/itm/liberty-quarter-eagles/quarter-eagles/1848-d-2-1-2-au50-ngc/a/1139-3456.s

 

The link shows an authentic 1848-D 2 1/2 gold dollar.

 

Carl

[Coindude]

Just so you know, this may not all be bad news, a lot of older counterfeits were made of gold. If it is counterfeit it may still be worth gold value.

[DMusich]

I will get some better pix this evening and put up, I see what you all are talking about. Either way I need to get out and get it authenticated. Has anyone had any experience with DBKJ Numismatics in Ft Smith AR? That is the closest "reputable" dealer I can find to NE Oklahoma.

 

Even if it is a fake it is still worth the purchase price of $1 for the box full of fishing takle that it and my other coins were stashed away in.

[BillJones]

I have my doubts that this is genuine. The picture is very much out of focus which makes it hard to see the details, but from what I can seen the devices are not well defined.

 

The 1848-D quarter was generally well struck, even though it was made at the Dahlonega Mint. The mushy appearance of this piece leads me to believe that it is a counterfeit.

[coinman_23885]

Just so you know, this may not all be bad news, a lot of older counterfeits were made of gold. If it is counterfeit it may still be worth gold value.

 

Assuming it was gold, the melt value would be around $144.72 based on the price of gold at the time this post is written. That's about what the OP was offered.

[BillJones]

I don't have an 1848-D quarter eagle in my collection, but here is an 1848-P quarter eagle. The Philadelphia Mint produced all of the dies in those days and sent them to the branch mints so the artwork, although not always the execution, was the same.

 

Note the sharpness and crispness of the lettering on this genuine piece. Quite often "fatty latters" are an indicator of a counterfeit piece.

 

[DMusich]

I updated the pictures with newer ones. I really need to find my camera so I can get really good ones. I learned that this coin had been in a necklace and had a clamp ring around it which may account for some of the weird wear but may also increase the likelihood of it being a counterfeit.

[Mark T]

I updated the pictures with newer ones. I really need to find my camera so I can get really good ones. I learned that this coin had been in a necklace and had a clamp ring around it which may account for some of the weird wear but may also increase the likelihood of it being a counterfeit.

 

The coin would get a “details” grade if it was used as a Jewelry piece. I would still have it authenticated but after looking closer at the coin I also have doubts that it is genuine. However for $1 it was a bargain!!

[coinman_23885]

This doesn't even look like the same coin, and it looks closer to an authentic piece although I would never attempt to authenticate it based on your photos. There are still concerns. OP - contact Doug Winter to see if he will look at it for you.

[DMusich]

We are going to take a trip to Oklahoma City to see the NGC authorized dealer there to establish if it is authentic and go from there.

 

Thanx to all for your input! Very much appreciated.

[Mark T]

Just saw your new pictures - when I made the earlier post I did not see them . The new pictures look much better, it might be genuine.