Does this half cent look ok?

[RGT]

This half cent is graded NGC MS63. When I first looked at it I thought it looked great. Then I checked it out under better light and thought it looked a bit odd. I know some EACers oil and brush their copper. Does this look like it's had that done? Any early copper experts out there?

 

[MunkyMan95]

I'm no early copper expert, but the obverse looks a little too red to be true. Maybe oiled like you say, but not harshly I wouldn't guess. Looks like an overall nice coin, even if it has been tampered with.

[physics-fan3.14]

I love the reverse, but that obverse is a little off-putting. But I really don't know anything about copper, early or new.

[WinstonWare]

I'm no expert on copper but I kind of like this coin. It has a great deal of detail for an 1851

[Brotherman]

First, I’m still new at this so take what I say with a grain of salt, but to me it

looks like it is missing its outer patina – that thick skin that is usually

coating early copper. I must say that the fields don’t look like they’ve

been cleaned though. Still, I’m hesitant – not sure I would buy (or keep it).

I’m anxious to see what TomB says.

 

Hays

[Hoot]

This coin's color has been worked on, albeit not out of line with what many early coppers have had done. The obverse, in particular, looks like it's had some Della's darkener applied, then followed with Care or another coin oil, then lightly brushed. Mind you, I do not think that any strong deception is at work, and overall I think the surfaces look good. Indeed, oiling early coppers is commonplace and a way to preserve the surface of the coin.

 

Personally, I think the coin is nowhere near a 63. It looks like a 58 at best (market grade) and an EAC 50. The coin is nice in many ways, but likely overpriced at the 63 level.

 

Hoot

[James_OldeTowne]

This coin looks odd because it has been recolored - definitely. "Brushing" as expertly performed by an EAC never leaves visibly odd effects or anything like that. The obverse of this coin was cleaned at some point and needed "help". I also note a couple of minor rim dings, and weakness of strike at some of the stars and reverse leaves, all of which would lead me to an EAC grade of EF-45. My guess as to value without using a price guide is $200 - $250.

 

James

[RGT]

Thanks for the comments. I thought the coin looked suspect but I wasn't sure what had been done with it. I have a ten day return priveledge but I would be out around $15 in shipping both ways. I've got $242 in the coin including shipping so I'm in your value range, James. Do you think this is a coin I would have trouble selling later if I keep it?

 

Here's the image used on ebay. The coin looked like a nice original brown to me. I guess this applies to the thread on interpreting images. Sometimes you just can't tell.

 

[James_OldeTowne]

Personally, if the coin was in my set, $242 would not be ridiculously too high a price. I'd say that is top dollar, but knowing that, I would keep it. I think the evidence of the recoloring is more apparent in your image because your image is of significantly higher quality, and not blurred like the seller's was. Therefore, we can see the abrupt change in patination in the fields near the outlines of the portrait and letters and other devices.

 

At $242, I like the coin, but had you said $350, that would be a different story!

 

James

[WaxonWaxov]

Newbie alert!

 

So what would one do in this case? Send it to the conservation people atNGC then NGC for grading? Worst case scenario is that body-bag it and you're out the costs of sending it to them.

 

Best case scenario would be that the folks at the conservation office would be able to give a porfessional opinion of what has been done to it, but still give it a 'clean bill of health' so to speak.

[Hoot]

Sending it to NCS would yield no result. NCS could not do anything for this piece. A true expert with copper may be able to get the surfaces to look more natural over time, but a combination of patience and expertise would be required.

 

For $242 I would take the $30 hit for shipping and get my money back, that way rolling it into a better coin. A coin that is a solid EAC 45 or 50, no net grade, with A+ or choice surfaces would be a vastly nicer coin.

 

Hoot

[TomB]

I'm glad that Hoot and James have already posted about this coin because my opinion was all doom-and-gloom from the image provided. However, the fact that it is copper and that I am not certain how true to life the image is made me hesitate in posting.

 

I would send the coin back and use the money on a better piece.

[James_OldeTowne]

I don't think NCS would or could try to do anything for the coin. The only thing that might help would be to acetone it to remove any possible surface oils, then put the coin in an album or paper holder for a while - a very long while....

 

James

[RGT]

Thanks again for the honest evaluation. I have decided to return the coin. I always regret the ones I didn't send back that I should have more than the ones I should have bought but didn't.