Help with Value! 1825 50c / Half Dollar 1 1

[xinfantry]

I'm wondering if you more seasond value evaluating members of NGC could help me find what my coin is worth.

 

1825 50c / Half Dollar.

 

Thank you everyone,

                           C,  Carson. 

Edited July 5, 2023 by xinfantry

[Fenntucky Mike]

NGC lists an XF coin at $260. Looks like a pretty good divit on the rim at 10 on the rev, and a pretty good scratch on the left side running through the bust on the obv. Probably a details coin.

[JT2]

yes what the @Fenntucky Mike  says is correct..  It would grade details with all of the nicks and rim damage.  it is worth a little over $200.

[Coinbuf]

I agree that there is a very high chance of a details grade, if not for the scratch and rim issues then for the old cleaning that has only just begun to retone.   I do not follow the prices for bust half's, but I think the value is less than the members above, partly as I do not think your coin would grade as high as XF.   I found one cleaned details XF45 graded coin (no scratch) in an ANACS holder for $145 with no bids, as your coin is raw and scratched I think its value is less than $145, closer to $100 or less in my estimate.

[EagleRJO]

I don't think that's a legit 1825 Capped Bust 50C.  I have a few of them around that date and It just looked off, so I tried to see if it matched one of the NGC varieties.  It looks like they tried to copy an O-108 or O-116 but the face and date are off.

https://www.ngccoin.com/variety-plus/united-states/half-dollars/capped-bust-lettered-edge-half-dollars-1807-1836/?page=3

In particular they got the "2" in the date wrong with too square a lower serif and especially too much of a loop at the upper serif.  The lower serif of the "5" is also a little off.  See the attached comparison with the date of an O-108.

Edited July 6, 2023 by EagleRJO

[Sandon]

    Welcome to the NGC chat board.

    Both the authentication and grading of coins often require in-person examination.  There is a limit to what we can do with photographs.  Based on the photos, this 1825 Capped Bust half dollar appears to be of the O-116 die variety, a common variety, and is likely a genuine coin. It matches the photos for this variety in both the Overton book and NGC VarietyPlus, including for the positioning and shapes of the numerals in the date. I assume that the edge is lettered FIFTY CENTS OR HALF A DOLLAR with a star at the end. (The lettering is sometimes blundered.)

   The coin has Extremely Fine or so details and is scratched and appears to have been "cleaned", probably with metal polish, so as others have noted it is an impaired or "problem" coin. Valuation of such coins is highly subjective.  An unimpaired Extremely Fine lists $200 in Coin World, so a dealer might try to sell it for $100-$120. As such pieces can be difficult to sell, the dealer buy price might be no more than half of this range.

[EagleRJO]

It did look close to the O-108 and O-116 as noted, but I thought the "2" in the date still looked like too much of a curl at the upper serif and too squared off at the lower serif compared to the O-116.

But you are right that it really needs to be done with the coin in hand comparing it to the known varieties in the link provided, starting with the O-116 as that does appear to be close.

Edited July 6, 2023 by EagleRJO

[Sandon]

@EagleRJO--When evaluating early (especially pre-1837) U.S. coins, it is important to bear in mind that dies wore quickly and were frequently polished or repaired to remove clash marks and other defects to extend their use.  The appearance of coins struck from these dies can vary markedly over the course of the life of the dies.

   The photos for the O-116 variety on VarietyPlus (obverse below) are from an earlier die state than the coin posted for this topic, as shown most clearly by the more elongated star points and weak or flattened rim dentils on the topic coin, which is typical of Capped Bust half dollars struck from worn dies. The only difference I can see in the date is that on the VarietyPlus coin the inside of the "2" appears to have a weak extended point that had likely vanished due to die wear and/or polishing by the time the topic coin was struck. (Your comparison photo is of an O-108, which has a slightly differently shaped "8", "2", and "5".)   Additionally, Overton indicates that Liberty's mouth is open on the O-116 (not on the O-108), which may be the reason you believe the face looks different.

 

 

   

[EagleRJO]

On 7/6/2023 at 12:37 PM, Sandon said:

... the inside of the "2" appears to have a weak extended point that had likely vanished due to die wear and/or polishing by the time the topic coin was struck

There are some minor differences, like the stars, probably from a combination of worn dies and wear on the op's coin, as the NGC coin is also in mint state.

With the op's coin being a later die state and having more wear I would expect there to be a slightly reduced loop at the upper serif of the "2", but the op's coin seems to have more of a loop at the upper serif, and a more squared off lower serif, as indicated and per the attached comparison with an O-116 date.

On 7/6/2023 at 12:37 PM, Sandon said:

Additionally, Overton indicates that Liberty's mouth is open on the O-116 (not on the O-108), which may be the reason you believe the face looks different.

That may be why it initially jumped out at me.  But the face still looks a little different to me vs the O-116, particularly around the nose and eye, per the attached comparison.

In my mind there are just too many things that are off, which is why I question that it's a legit 1825 50C.  We are just looking at pictures, so I think the op should carefully compare the coin to an O-116 to decide, as it's just not valuable enough of a coin to justify the cost of submitting it to a TPG for authentication.  The op could also bring it to a local coin shop to see what they think and get a valuation.

Edited July 7, 2023 by EagleRJO