Gold Fever!

[EZ_E]

1835 Classic Head $5 gold NGC AU 50 Totally original skin!

 

 

Pan Pac $1 gold commem PCGS MS63

 

 

$2.5 Indian Gold PCGS AU55

 

[Bruceswar]

nice coins... I like them alot...

[EZ_E]

Thanks, Bruce. However, I didn't quite find my groove on this batch. It was the first time photographing through slabs. I used two OTT light covered with white paper but I guess that I didn't get the right angle on the lighting.

[Bruceswar]

the lighting looks ok ... just a few seem a bit outta focus... but you will get it down... your pics are getting better

[Hoot]

1835 Classic Head $5 gold NGC AU 50 Totally original skin!

 

Rare and sweet.

 

Hoot

[EZ_E]

Transitional Pieces of 1836-40

 

If I didn't love this coin so much, I'd try to let you get it. It would be a perfect coin for your set.

 

Sorry, Hoot.

[James_OldeTowne]

Oh man, I love that 1836!

 

James

[Jazzy]

Ditto on loving the 1836.

 

I've got to bite the bullet and get me some early US gold.

[Hoot]

Transitional Pieces of 1836-40

 

If I didn't love this coin so much, I'd try to let you get it. It would be a perfect coin for your set.

 

Sorry, Hoot.

 

Thanks Victor. I've looked at a number of them in auction and all of them have been dipped or otherwise cleaned . Very hard to find with original skin, especially in AU. I wonder if people dip AU pieces thinking they'll fool the graders into thinking they're MS?

 

Hoot

[jtryka]

Nice coins Victor, the Pan Pac is beautiful. The classic head half eagle seems to be a nice solid (and original) XF. It may look different in hand, but from the photo there doesn't seem to be enough "oomph" to rate an AU grade. In my limited experience with classic head gold, it seems NGC is a little loose on the XF-AU grades in this series. Still, it's a solid coin and one I'd be thrilled to own!

[EZ_E]

Thanks for all of the solid feedback, gents!

 

Jeff, the Indian is a solid AU but the photo is a little out of focus. I'll give it a second shot later. I actually bought this coin in my rookie days from Coast to Coast Coins as BU (before I knew any better) for $169 and later had it slabbed.

 

The Pan Pac is out of focus, too, but is a solid 63. I acutually got this coin at an online auction (Heritage I think or B&M) for $500 in Nov 2002.

 

The Classic Head $5 is also my favorite piece (although all three pieces are solid). I love the date, I love the originality, I love the size and I love the coin! Need I say more? I purchased this coin from Mark Feld a year ago for $900.

 

As you stated, Mark, to find original gold, let alone early, original gold is a very tough chore! Technically by wear this may be a high XF but the originality certainly warrants the boost to AU50.

[jtryka]

Jeff, the Indian is a solid AU but the photo is a little out of focus. I'll give it a second shot later. I actually bought this coin in my rookie days from Coast to Coast Coins as BU (before I knew any better) for $169 and later had it slabbed.

 

Technically by wear this may be a high XF but the originality certainly warrants the boost to AU50.

 

Victor, I was talking about the 1836 half eagle, not the Indian, but either way I think you agreed with me in your latter comments.

[EZ_E]

Don't know how I misread it like that but I'm glad that you brought the point up. I've actually been kind of surprised that no one else mentioned this. But, most NGC boardsters are gentlemen and were just being polite.

 

There were posts a year or two ago on these boards debating whether TPGS's are grading services or pricing services. I feel that they're a little of both. In this light, I have no problem with NGC calling a high XF a low AU because of its appeal.

 

Why do y'all think that NGC graded it AU50?

[jtryka]

But, most NGC boardsters are gentlemen and were just being polite.

 

So are you implying I am not a gentleman and impolite?

 

I think there are a few reasons for the bump in grade, the main one being that I think NGC is a little loose in the XF-AU range on this series. I have an 1835 that is a nice XF, probably lower end, maybe a 40, but they graded it a 45, so I am not surprised that a coin that maybe should be a 45 with nice original surfaces gets a bump to 50 (maybe it really is an EF-48). That's another problem in this range, there are only 5-point increments for grades, so a nice original coin like this may not fit precisely in the 40-45-50 mold. Of course there may be some nice luster under there that's not evident in the photos, which could also merit a bump to AU. They may also have attributed some of the wear to strike issues, but in this case I believe we merely have honest wear rather than a weak strike (though strikes on these coins tended to be somewhat erratic).

 

Bottom line, regardless what the slab says, it a heck of a coin!

[EZ_E]

But, most NGC boardsters are gentlemen and were just being polite.

 

 

So are you implying I am not a gentleman and impolite?

 

 

'Zactly! At last we're communicating.

 

I think there are a few reasons for the bump in grade, the main one being that I think NGC is a little loose in the XF-AU range on this series. I have an 1835 that is a nice XF, probably lower end, maybe a 40, but they graded it a 45, so I am not surprised that a coin that maybe should be a 45 with nice original surfaces gets a bump to 50 (maybe it really is an EF-48). That's another problem in this range, there are only 5-point increments for grades, so a nice original coin like this may not fit precisely in the 40-45-50 mold. Of course there may be some nice luster under there that's not evident in the photos, which could also merit a bump to AU. They may also have attributed some of the wear to strike issues, but in this case I believe we merely have honest wear rather than a weak strike (though strikes on these coins tended to be somewhat erratic).

 

 

I just think that they grade this series loose.

 

 

Bottom line, regardless what the slab says, it a heck of a coin!

 

 

Once again, we're communicating!

[HaydenTubbs]

Beautiful coins Victor! When will these be going up on eBay?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[michael]

1835 Classic Head $5 gold NGC AU 50 Totally original skin!

 

 

a wonderfully superb coin

 

[EZ_E]

Here's a picture I just took of Caleb also with original, thick skin:

 

[Oldtrader3]

I have noticed when perusing auction catalogs for more scarce quarter eagles in AU grades, that the grading services are somewhat generous in grading these coins. Most scarcer date, early, Coronet, AU55 gold Quarter-eagles that I have looked at that were graded AU55, were actually XF45 or AU50.

[EZ_E]

Most scarcer date, early, Coronet, AU55 gold Quarter-eagles that I have looked at that were graded AU55, were actually XF45 or AU50.

 

Wow, that's pretty drastic! They do that on key dates, too. Like, heck! The coins are expensive enough as they are w/o paying extra money for an overgraded coin. The are most certainly cracks and flaws in these grading svc's philosophy!