"Original toned surfaces"

[RGT]

That was the description that Heritage used to describe this ANACS MS62 1852 Half Dime that I won here about two years ago. The same coin sold two months earlier here with the description "Tawny-gold and aquamarine colors invigorate this shimmering and sharply struck Seated Half Dime. Struck from notably clashed dies. Attractive and conservatively graded."

 

 

I agreed with the description and thought the coin was nice for the grade, though the pictures from the auctions look nothing like the coin. This coin was one of a group of 13 that I sent to ANACS for their reholder service. Since they have started using the new holders a coin sent for reholder has it's grade covered up and is regraded before it is placed in the new holder. Here is the new holder the coin was put in.

 

[HaydenTubbs]

" It's A New Day At ANACS "

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps and old dip and retoning?

 

Nothing that should have kept this coin from going up a point instead of netting down...

[MunkyMan95]

PCGS and NGC only for meeee!

[EZ_E]

Bummer!

 

It seems that there are hairlines on the obverse right field and I can see how one would think that it has retoned. However, I don't think that this coin should ever have been bodybagged. It is a very nice collector coin with great eye appeal.

 

 

[Bruceswar]

Thats one of those coins where I say, screw what the TPG's say crack it and leave it raw. Its a sweer coin if you ask me.

[RGT]

Bummer!

 

It seems that there are hairlines on the obverse right field and I can see how one would think that it has retoned. However, I don't think that this coin should ever have been bodybagged. It is a very nice collector coin with great eye appeal.

 

 

Victor, there does seem to be some marks in that area but I don't think they are hairlines. I will take a closer look tonight. I think the surfaces do exhibit some properties that could be interpreted as an old cleaning, but certainly not harsh. It wouldn't surprise me if I found out that someone had given the coin a light rinse long ago. But the coin still has decent luster though it is muted somewhat in areas. I think I would have been less surprised if they had graded it AU58. I got at least one other seated half dime back in the same group that was reholdered at the same grade that looks more likely to have been cleaned than this one.

 

I'm not trying to pick on ANACS here, I just thought the Heritage description was a bit ironic. Obviously there can be differing opinions on this coin. I really respect ANACS for standing up for their opinion. They could have just said "close enough" and stuck it in a new holder, but they really are trying to clean up their act and make sure all the coins in the new holders are deserving to be there. If ANACS got this one wrong, at least they did so on the conservative side.

 

I also sent in seven coins raw with this batch. I don't agree with every grade they gave, but overall I am quite pleased with the results. The time frame was terrible though, but if I were a dealer and needed these coins back in a hurry I wouldn't have used Economy service.

[TomB]

An old dip and subsequent retoning should nor garner the "Cleaned" designation for a coin. Additionally, it looks to me like those striations in the right obverse field are more likely to be raised and, therefore, die polish than they are to be cleaning scratches. Of course, interpreting a two dimensional representation of a coin leaves much to be desired.

 

I am surprised that ANACS does not do what NGC and PCGS do with their regrade tier where they regrade the coin and, if the new grade is lower than first given, they allow the coin to keep the initial grade.

[Elcontador]

The TPGs give lots of slack re cleaning to Draped Bust material (especially dollars), but much less so to later dated coins.

 

Another issue I'll bring up is that I make a point of avoiding MS 58 - MS 62 grades in type. This is a no-man's land; many coins here are nice AUs graded as "market acceptable" Uncs.

 

Agree with Tom re die polish lines are raised and should not adversely affect a coin's grade. FWIW, based on the image I see, I can understand why some may think your coin was cleaned.

[RGT]

I took another look at the coin, this time with a 20X loupe. There are a couple of light marks in the field near the shin, but those are die polish lines up near the arm and stars.

 

 

These coins were sent in as reholder, not regrade, but ANACS will not reholder without a regrade. In effect they are giving a regrade at the reholder price. They are also honoring their grade guarantee and will compensate the owner for any downgrades. I think this policy is better than what NGC and PCGS currently do. I'm sure many overgraded coins get sent in for reholder into new PCGS slabs now since PCGS is percieved as being tight right now. That gives the buyer a false sense of security that the coin is conservatively graded. Of course if we all only bought coins in person it shouldn't matter, but that doesn't happen nearly as much in this day of the internet. I suspect that ANACS would follow the same policy as NGC and PCGS if a coin in a new holder was sent in for regrade or reholder though.

 

I also understand why some may think the coin was cleaned. I also think that it would normally be considered market acceptable. It certainly is a nice coin for it's current holder, but I never would get an ebay buyer to believe that.