Opinion on 1837 Seated Liberty Half 1 1

[Mr.Bill347]

Asking for my friend.I feel this may squeak into the EF range due to the clear LIBERTY and some hair details 

reverse still has some good lines but wanted to give him a sense of value on this increasingly rare half. TIA

[Just Bob]

AG Details

And it is a Reeded Edge Capped Bust half.

Check these pictures for comparison coins

[GBrad]

I was going to say maybe it would squeak into the G range but Just Bob knows WAY more than I do. 👍

[JKK]

To think, even suggest, even to imagine that such a coin might ring the bell for EF would tell me that someone needs to review a grading guide, and has never yet done so. I think that's politer than suggesting a trip to the optometrist or abstaining from certain forms of self-medication.

An EF coin has very light wear. This is worn clear through the design in many places.

An EF coin typically has a little residual mint luster. This bustie long ago forgot what mint luster felt like.

An EF coin doesn't have a big freaking gouge in the back. While it is possible, at least in theory, that this was a mint error, the plug visible on front of a near-circular hole suggests to me a bad drill job and a refilling.

An EF coin has sharp details. This one is lucky to have any details at all. Most are flat and some letters are missing.

An EF coin lacks edge dings. This one has several.

On the positive side, the photos are sharp enough to tell us all that. They are correctly oriented, well cropped, and eminently clear. I like busties and hate to see one suffer as this one has, but we get what we get.

AG-3, holed and filled. I actually had to pull out my ANA guide to assess whether it could meet the AG criteria; next step down would be FA-2. I don't think one could make an argument for that.

[RWB]

That one got caught in a mouse trap - it will not "squeek" at all.

[Mr.Bill347]

The only thing squeaking is my ears! Ok I get it. Just don’t know much yet but I’m trying !

On 9/9/2021 at 11:43 AM, JKK said:

To think, even suggest, even to imagine that such a coin might ring the bell for EF would tell me that someone needs to review a grading guide, and has never yet done so. I think that's politer than suggesting a trip to the optometrist or abstaining from certain forms of self-medication.

An EF coin has very light wear. This is worn clear through the design in many places.

An EF coin typically has a little residual mint luster. This bustie long ago forgot what mint luster felt like.

An EF coin doesn't have a big freaking gouge in the back. While it is possible, at least in theory, that this was a mint error, the plug visible on front of a near-circular hole suggests to me a bad drill job and a refilling.

An EF coin has sharp details. This one is lucky to have any details at all. Most are flat and some letters are missing.

An EF coin lacks edge dings. This one has several.

On the positive side, the photos are sharp enough to tell us all that. They are correctly oriented, well cropped, and eminently clear. I like busties and hate to see one suffer as this one has, but we get what we get.

AG-3, holed and filled. I actually had to pull out my ANA guide to assess whether it could meet the AG criteria; next step down would be FA-2. I don't think one could make an argument for that.

 

[Mr.Bill347]

Would it compare somewhat to this one on EBay?

[JKK]

You're doing this wrong. If no one else here is blunt enough to tell you that, I am.

Don't compare that junker to a less junkier coin on Ebay. The question is not germane because Ebay means nothing in terms of grading, unless the coin is slabbed by someone better than a JGC. Compare it to a grading guide, read the standards, and see which category it falls into. Remember that each grade has standards, and to fail a single one of those standards means it must grade lower. JustBob was right, and I bet he checked his grading guide for AG before he decided it was just good enough for that grade. I did the same thing going behind him, which is why I agreed. If we can do this, do you not think you should begin doing so? Neither of us are ashamed to look it up. That's how people learn.

Until you buy a grading guide, you will not progress. I suggest the ANA Grading Standards. That will keep you from looking at the functional equivalent of totaled cars and asking everyone whether they should be classed as "runs good, nice condition" just because one fender actually survived the impact without looking like crumpled tinfoil.

If you want more progress, it'll take a while, but subscribe to Coin Values. Every issue has a grading focus on a specific type of coin and grade range, with detailed discussion about why each image is graded as it is. I've been clipping those out for twelve years and putting them in a binder, so now I have a library with grading articles about nearly every US coin type I'm likely to encounter. If you read those in detail every month, it would help you.

[Coinbuf]

On 9/9/2021 at 10:08 AM, Mr.Bill347 said:

Would it compare somewhat to this one on EBay?

From a strict detail standpoint the one you show on ebay is close, however that seller is fishing for a sucker at a price of $300.   That coin is worth maybe $40 tops and the one you posted in your op is about half of this ebay dog due to the scratches and rim issues.   Ebay is a dumping ground for lots of problem/junk coins at massively inflated prices meant to be sold to the uninformed suckers.   You can find nice coins on ebay but you have to search thru lots and lots of garbage; like this item you posted; to find them.

Just a thought, you really need to be careful advising anyone about grades and values if you are not really good at grading and know the market.   You could end up giving some really bad advice through good intentions.

[Mr.Bill347]

Advice taken. I just don’t see old suckers like this . The ones I do see or buy I don’t buy them for grading but variety. If I buy , it’s usually a graded coin or one directly from the Mint that I intend to grade. Like the 2021 W Eagle that I got in February, had it graded by NGC as MS70. I do appreciate your opinions JKK, JustBob, and Coinbuf. That’s really all I was trying to do for a friend.

[Mohawk]

I'd say AG Details-damaged on it, based on Photograde.