EagleRJO Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 (edited) I know gold coins are tough to grade or authenticate from photos, and would have to carefully look at this in-hand if I even go there (particularly with this being a commonly counterfeited coin), but have a question about this raw 1909-D $5 Indian Head Gold Half Eagle listed as AU from a small rare coin dealer called ToughCoins. I do see some signs of minor wear, but no indication of weak details like at the headdress around the ear or lower left wing feathers. I also don't see indications of tooling marks in typical spots, like around the neck. However, my real issue is there seems to be quite a lot of smaller fine contact marks, as well as two heavier dings near the rim on the reverse around 11 o'clock. More visible contact marks can be expected given the soft metal, and standards note that surfaces for lower grades may be "lightly marred by minor bag marks and abrasions". I have a number of raw and graded half eagles and other gold coins, all with at least some of these fine contact marks, but not to the extent that I see on this coin. Do you think that would just lower the grade, or is that enough to knock it into a Details grade. Edited January 28 by EagleRJO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coinbuf Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 The rim ding between T and E would concern me and could be enough for a details grade. It also looks lightly wiped from the photo, I would likely pass but I tend to be very conservative if I don't know the source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleRJO Posted January 28 Author Share Posted January 28 My gut reaction is to pass, but this year at a reasonable price in a low MS or AU grade has been eluding me for a while with the two larger dealers I typically work with on raw coins. So I might give this smaller outfit a shot, who has been around a while and seems to have a good reputation. But I'm not sure this one might end up in the Details category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J P M Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 If you send it to PCGS the rim ding may slip under the holder tab. It is a chancy purchase as is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandon Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 Assuming that the coin is genuine and that the rim ding wouldn't result in a "details" grade, I would grade the coin in the AU (55-58) range due to the obvious "rub" in the fields and on the Indian's cheek. A grading service might give it a low mint state grade. I recommend buying gold coins in grading service holders nowadays for authentication purposes. The 1909-D half eagle is #21 on NGC's list of most counterfeited U.S. coins. 21. 1909-D Indian $5 | NGC (ngccoin.com). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powermad5000 Posted January 28 Share Posted January 28 What is the sellers rating/feedback/reviews? Do they have a return policy? Do you have a backup second opinion such as a local coin shop to help in verifying authenticity that can help in the event they deem the coin not legit so you can return it quickly? I would say if you can't clear all the hurdles and backup plans then skip this and buy one already slabbed. I only have one gold in my collection so I don't know how tough the graders are on gold when it comes to marks and dings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EagleRJO Posted January 29 Author Share Posted January 29 (edited) On 1/28/2024 at 1:33 PM, Sandon said: Assuming that ... the rim ding wouldn't result in a "details" grade ... That is my main question, where I have a good handle on the other issues. For comparison the attached half eagle is one that I have graded AU which has the most marks. Whereas, the one I am considering posted above seems to have more marks or small scratches than that, in addition to the dings on the reverse. I really didn't want a Details or XF graded coin in the collection which is all AU, low MS or BU coins. Edited January 30 by EagleRJO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
