1877-CC Trade Dollar opinion please

[Freedomsweetfreedom]

[MarkFeld]

If it's genuine, it looks like an XF details, cleaned example.

 

However, it looks off to me and I have doubts about its authenticity. Also, a quick search of several certified examples resulted in none of them having mint-marks that matched the one you posted.

 

Unless you are expert at authenticating such coins or buying it from a known seller with a stellar reputation over a long period of time, I'd pass (or return it, if you already bought it).

[Freedomsweetfreedom]

Thanks Mark.

I am certainly no expert. I am trying to learn to grade coins. It's not a simple task. I had this coin on my watch list on eBay.. it sold today for just under $700. The seller was the TX unclaimed property.

I know you are brilliant so I appreciate you taking the time.

[physics-fan3.14]

I don't see any immediate red flags for it being counterfeit.

 

It has, however, been very harshly cleaned and polished.

 

It is an EF details coin, as Mark said.

 

$700 is about what I would have expected for an EF details grade. This is a legitimately rare coin, and will be in demand even when mistreated. Most of the mintage was melted, and NGC has only graded 200 or so for the date.

 

You can compare that one to an EF Details, cleaned, coin that sold on Heritage a couple of months ago for $822: https://coins.ha.com/itm/trade-dollars/1877-cc-t-1-improperly-cleaned-ngc-details-xf-ngc-census-7-107-pcgs-population-24-145-mintage-534-000-cdn/a/131631-21276.s?type=NGC131631 The cleaning is much more subtle on this piece, hence the higher price.

[Nutmeg Coin]

Definitely suspicious as the others have indicated. A problem coin, and good luck getting an XF or better trade dollar straight graded unless it has original look, these are very tricky coins. And on the counterfeit issue, there are a lot of cunning, deceptive coins from the "Shanghai mint". I ordered a battery charger from China, around $6 delivered, I have no idea how they can operate a business with so little profit, so there are powerful incentives to market convincing fakes.