Whitened. Ex Jewelry? posted by Electric Peak Collection

[CSJournals-migration]

Check out this coin. (I hope the links work...)

 

I regularly check the major auction sites and dealer listings for coins that I need for my collection. The upcoming Dallas PNG Invitational auction at Heritage includes one coin of interest: an NGC graded MS 66 1867-S half dime. Here is a link to the Heritage obverse photo: http://coins.ha.com/c/lot-image.zx?saleNo=1218&lotNo=0&lotIdNo=1031&inventoryNo=&id=12230393

 

Part of my investigation includes scanning prior auction records. Consider this coin, from a past Heritage auction: http://coins.ha.com/c/lot-image.zx?saleNo=1206&lotNo=4382&lotIdNo=217001&inventoryNo=0&id=11387537

 

It is clearly the same coin. It has been cleaned up a bit to look nice and white, but did not get an upgrade for the effort.

 

I started out desiring nice white coins, but have come to appreciate nicely toned coins as generally preferable. I passed on this coin in that prior auction for multiple reasons. The toning made it unattractive to me. I questioned the grade because of the marks that are visible.

 

But the kicker for me, was that it looks like it may have been mounted somehow in the past. Look at the rim, above the E in UNITED, and half way around, above the RI in AMERICA. There appear to be notches there. They are visible in the reverse photos as well.

 

I will be passing on this coin again. As nice as it now looks at first glance, those notches would always jump out at me, screaming "damage". What do you think?

 

See more journals by Electric Peak Collection

[coinsbygary]

I think they're different. The denticles above the face are different and there appears to be die cracks radiating up from the 1 and the 8 of the date on the white coin. Those notches are somewhat of a mystery though. Could they have been caused by a defect in the die collar? As high as the grade is, I would think that post mint notches like these might knock the grade down a little from MS-66. Less the notches, both coins are attractive to me with different charm of their own.

Gary

[Electric Peak]

Hi Gary,

 

Heritage's photos are not always taken in the same lighting. That can cause things to look a little different. But the following features are clearly present in both images: the cut on Liberty's right arm; remnants of the two dark spots NE of the 7; the little dig on the abdomen; the clash marks above 18 and farther left (not cracks or scratches [but the same clash marks or die lines could be on different coins]); the light scratch on the rock (some think it's actually part of the gown); and others. Plus, those notches! It has to be the same coin.

 

Alan

[Mr Bo Jingles]

I appreciate certain nicely toned coins as well, but that being said, I think most of them are not that good looking. It's a personal preference I guess but when I see a nasty looking blotchy toned Morgan with a + or a * it drives me frigging nuts when a blast white coin can be compared side by side to it and blow it out of the water.