Does this coin appear to be...

[libertycoins-migration]

dipped? A little unusual for a 177 year old coin to be that brilliant looking. DOn't you think?

 

http://www.heritagecoins.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=381&Lot_No=431

[toyonakataro]

I think your guess is right.

[gmarguli]

Yes, it's been dipped. It looks awful and should have been bodybagged.

[Bruceswar]

In defense of the coin it was photo'ed by Heritage... Not to be so harsh on them, but we all know they don't have the best photos in the industry .. Just a thought

[Trime-migration]

Of course,dipped!

[libertycoins-migration]

Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

[James_OldeTowne]

In this instance, I agree with how PCGS handled it. The coin seems to have AU details, but they net-graded it to XF for the dipping. Unless the surface quality is completely destroyed (stripped) on a coin like this, I don't think it should be bagged, as there are just too many examples like this that have sadly been mishandled over the years.

 

A quick story: at the St. Louis show back in Feb., a bust half collector came up to my case looking for an 1818/7. I happened to have three, all AU+, but all three were originally toned - nothing spectacular, but nice, natural patina on all of them. He was getting an idea of prices, so in the course of conversation, I asked him what characteristics he looks for in bust halves - strike? luster? toning? originality? The usual questions.

 

As he began to pull his Dansco collection out of his carrying case to show me, he stated:

 

I like bust halves in high grade that look like they can be dipped.

 

Then, he opened up his album - and it was just about full of 100% totally blast-white stripped bust halves! I nearly gasped in morbid fascination! It was all I could do not to put on a pair of sunglasses, the coins were so bright! Although each coin was relatively high-grade, they were pasty white and totally unnatural looking - although there was something peculiarly fascinating about seeing such a large grouping of pasty bust halves....

 

Anyhow, one at a time, he picked up each of my 1818/7s, asking the price on each, so each time, I told him that was my best price (each was over retail), as my goal was not to sell him an original coin, and have it turned into a toothpaste-polished coin.

 

He ended up not buying from me, but somewhere, I'm sure there is one less toned 1818/7 bust half in the world....

 

James

[RGT]

Thank you James for doing your part in keeping those original coins out of his eZest stained hands. Did you try to educate him or could you do nothing but stand there with your jaw on the floor?

 

I agree with you assesment of the PCGS coin. So many of these bust halves have been messed with over the years that the TPGs give them a bit of leeway (not that they don't slab more modern dipped coins).

[HaydenTubbs]

A brilliant example with pleasing bright luster throughout the borders and recessed devices.

 

[Mozin]

Without question it was dipped. So what? It could have been so dark nobody wanted it, in which case, it might as well be dipped in hopes of improving the look.

 

The reverse is nicer than the obverse. I have seen lots of Busties looking like this one in AU holders. Would I buy it? No. When I first started with Busties, maybe.

 

The current bid with juice is $126.50, which is already one fourth of the way from CDN SF to AU money.

[TomB]

James, you should carry a digital camera with you so that in case something like this happens again you might ask the owner if it would be okay to capture an image of such a unique set!

[Morgannut]

I have this morbid picture of white corpses lined up after some WWII Pacific battle. What I don't get is why people who want white coins don't collect nice white modern issues. They can be very hard to find in high grade in some cases.