A beautiful 1820/19 with a curled base 2

[MikeKing]

This is a beautiful 1820/19 overdate of a 50C Bustie that has a somewhat heavy grey patina which you can kind of look thru and see that in there is a highly reflective surface with a splash of rose-lilac coloration. Although the surfaces are heavily toned in grey and have this reflective characteristic (that I believe comes from the dies having been polished but if anyone knows differently please let me know) there is nice cartwheeling luster.

 

my photos are pretty accurate regarding this coin, except for the fact that you can't see what you would see if you look at it under a light, and you cannot see the luster which is there. the reverse photo better shows what peeks through the outer patina.

 

What do you grade this coin?

 

[TomB]

I find this piece to be oddly attractive and think it is an EF45.

[MikeKing]

can you tell me why? (both to oddly attractive and xf45)

[SkyMan]

Pretty coin Mike, with a really nice overdate.

[MarkFeld]

I find this piece to be oddly attractive and think it is an EF45.

I don't find it to be especially attractive (since I can't see much color on it) or unattractive, but it looks like a solid AU example to me. (edited to add: 53+)

[MBA101]

Appears to have the wear characteristics of an AU53 or 55 to me. Luster is hard to distinguish in these pics, so if your description is correct, then I would call it a 55...

[GAB]

Nice looking overdate!!

The only thing I see from the picture that might knock it down a notch grade wise is the

apparent scrape on the Obverse. Maybe it's just the picture, but it looks like this coin

got a heavy rub on the high curl area, and the right side (as you look at it) - above and beyond "normal" wear ?

[TomB]

I believe the coin is oddly attractive because I normally dislike very much CBHs that are not toned in deeper shades, yet the "feel" this coin is giving me is one of having a thicker, more intact patina than normally encountered for a piece of this color. My interpretation of grade hinged on the apparently substantial-enough wear within the hair curls from beneath LIBERTY through to the curls nearly at star thirteen as well as what I viewed as a merging of the bustline with the drapery at nearly the lowest point of the bustline. For all I know the coin might be graded MS61, but my gut reaction was EF45 and that is how I generally grade coins, which means I am wrong a certain number of times.

[123cents]

Thank a beautiful bustie Mike. I would guess AU-55.

[Hoot]

My initial impression of the coin is EF40. I like it, and it's been left alone for long enough that the coin has some nice patina that's growing in depth and character. The 40 is for the remaining details.

 

Hoot

[JRocco]

Nice coin Mike. I love this variety. Your coin does look to be a nice AU to my eyes and I bet this one does have more pop in hand like you say---I would be glad to put her in my collection.

[AzLarry]

I like the coin and I would grade it AU50 to AU53. Looks like O-102 variety?

[WoodenJefferson]

Mike, I need to ask a question about the reverse. The lettering around the rim on the reverse appears to be, to put it in lay man's term, "shiney" as do the arrow tips. Is this an illusion in the image or are they this silvery polished look surface?

 

I like how the stars run off the rim and the curley-que 2, pretty coin.

[Amanda]

I like curl-based twos.

 

Pretty much twos from this era in general. They are so much cooler and curlier than our modern twos.

 

Thanks for sharing a lovely CBH.

 

-Amanda

[WinstonWare]

I believe the coin is oddly attractive because I normally dislike very much CBHs that are not toned in deeper shades, yet the "feel" this coin is giving me is one of having a thicker, more intact patina than normally encountered for a piece of this color.

 

Ahhh, I was thinking this whole time reading down to TomB's post

[MikeKing]

I don't have the coin available right now to look at again, regarding some of the observations, so I'm relying totally on memory, which may or may not be a good thing.

The areas Tom is talking about within the hair curls, I believe, are areas where the coin just didn't strike out, and don't represent wear at all. Also, these areas are well patinated and I don't believe this is over 'rub', rather, the flatness is entirely secondary to strike issues.

Of note also, where metal may not have flowed re: the hair curls, it certainly then flowed into the eagle, both wings being fairly well struck, particularly the left wing, and also the legs.

The shininess of the arrows is probably from the light reflecting off the polished surface peaking through the outer patina. Like I said, I believe this coin was minted after significant lapping of the die, thus the highly reflective surface beneath the grey patina, also, the thin stars, which is also a big giveaway.

In fact, I find very little wear on this coin at all. Again, I'll have to report back when I have the coin in hand again.

 

By the way, the grey patination is different from the grey patination sometimes seen in lackluster busties in that this patination has significant depth and underlying color.

 

Any more thoughts?

[CoinAddict]

Very nice bustie, Mike.

[MikeKing]

Just FYI, when I bought this coin (ANR/STACKS) it was in an NGC45 holder. It crossed to PCGS as an AU50, which I feel is the appropriate grade. 53 would be pushing it because what looks like just strike weakness is actually wear + strike weakness, and 40 would be too low because what looks like wear is actually just strike 'weakness', and there's too much remaining luster, if that makes any sense. I'm ok where it resides now.