Liberated Today & Guess the Grade CBH- Grade Revealed

[hoard]

I bought this coin for my 7070 and no sooner did it arrive, than it was liberated. I even thought I heard a sigh, although could have been me upon realization the coin was safe. I thought of leaving the coin in its coffin but that empty hole was calling. The coin itself was purchased because it fits very nicely with the others in the set. Hard to tell from the photos but the coin has tremendous luster remaining.

 

Guess the grade and could the experts tell me the Overton number as I am a bust novice. This is the first bust coinage I have ever owned. I believe the coin to be under graded. Below are multiple photos of the coin as the white balance and focus are off in both which should provide better information from which to grade. I do want to thank all you bust collectors for the information passed along on these forums that allowed me to make, what I consider, a good purchase.

 

I can see now the appeal these coins have with collectors. They are quite attractive.

 

[jtryka]

What a wonderful coin!!! As for grade, I would say high AU or low MS, but I am usually pretty tight grading these. As for Overton attribution, I believe it is an O-115 (R.2) the obverse matches up well, but the reverse has a couple question marks. There should be a die defect between the left wing and corner of scroll but I cannot see it on the photo (maybe I am also looking in the wrong place), but it does have a dot in the lower inside of the C in 50. which matches up. If not an O-115, I would next say O-116, but I think it matches up better with the O-115 marriage.

 

Great coin and superb addition!

[123cents]

I agree with O-115. Grade AU-53. Very nice Antonio.

[okbustchaser]

Overton 115 XF-45

[rbrown4]

A very nice looking Capped Bust Half.

 

I would say XF-45 as okbustchaser has indicated. A little too much wear on the lower curls and drapery I think for an AU 50. The Overton I will leave to others.

 

Rey

[rrantique]

Very nice addition She's still got a lot meat left. Nice eye appeal. XF-45 sounds about right.

[jesbroken]

O-115 AU50. Might even go AU53.

[TomB]

I agree with O.115 and the die defect in the reverse field is clearly visible, which is a major diagnostic of the variety. I don't know what the grade was on the slab, but if you think it is undergraded that may be due to the fact that this coin was cleaned and quite often NGC, ANACS and PCGS will silently net grade Bust coinage that has been previously cleaned. The coin has EF45 details, or thereabouts, and as a guesstimate might have been net graded down to VF35 or EF40.

[Schatzy]

I also think XF-45.

 

Schatzy

[construct]

My first guess (best guess) is 45. If you think it's undergraded, the luster must be better than we can see in the photos.

[hoard]

I will post this early as the kids birthday party today must be prepared for. This was in a PCGS AU50. I thought that the coin may have been 53 with a slim chance for 55, but as noted previously I am a very novice bust collector. The coin was not marked as cleaned nor does it appear so. The coin has MS luster remaining but it does have light wear from top of curl to bust line but it is very light. It almost looks like weak strike combined with light wear hence why I thought the coin should be AU53.

 

Either way I appreaciate the continued education on grading these from all. I have learned what to look for in the future for the other busties to help complete my set.

 

Thanks.

[rbrown4]

Congratulations, it sounds to me as if you have a nice bust there with a very positive grade for you. For a first one, it is a nice one.

 

Rey

[JRocco]

I will post this early as the kids birthday party today must be prepared for. This was in a PCGS AU50. I thought that the coin may have been 53 with a slim chance for 55, but as noted previously I am a very novice bust collector. The coin was not marked as cleaned nor does it appear so. The coin has MS luster remaining but it does have light wear from top of curl to bust line but it is very light. It almost looks like weak strike combined with light wear hence why I thought the coin should be AU53.

 

Either way I appreaciate the continued education on grading these from all. I have learned what to look for in the future for the other busties to help complete my set.

 

Thanks.

Hey Hoard, how are you?

Please take this as advice and not as criticism.

Luster is the result of the metal flow created when the coin was minted, the way light is reflected off these flow lines is what we call luster. When a coin shows wear this indicates a break in the coins luster. An MS coin should not have luster breaks, hits-yes, but no luster breaks. For a grasp of the "right" way to grade a coin, a coin can have full luster on the reverse (no breaks) and just a small amount...5-10% luster break on the obverse and grade a 58. A break in a busties luster from the top of the curl to the bust line is a MAJOR luster break. I personally think that it would put the coin into the 45 range as many have guessed.

As a note with busties....it can be tough telling the difference between a flat strike and wear, especially if the coin has been cleaned or lightly polished somewhere in its history. Wear on a coin makes the surface look like a birds nest of tiny little irregular scratches when viewed with a glass or at the right angle where a flat strike appears like smooth metal, this is where a polished coin can fool a novice into thinking it is just a flat strike and not polished wear--this is where that elusive luster really counts. A polished coin will not display luster on its polished surface- it will be shiny, but no luster. It takes a while and a lot of coin in hand viewing to tell the difference, but the knowledge can save you a fortune.

Hope this helps.

[conqueror]

whatever the grade it is a beautiful and if I can take a guess at it I would guess au55.

[ant]

did i find them all for the 115? and when it say"a tiny defect btween left wing and corner of scroll" i take it they mean our left and not the birds left?

 

[rbrown4]

Jrocco,

 

Thanks for that description of Lustre presence, breaks and wear on a coin versus polishing. Great information and definitely additional tips reinforced so that I will keep in mind in the future

 

Rey

[rrantique]

Regardless great looking coin Hoard. Thanks for lustre explanation John, good info for all.

[JRocco]

As a further conversation, luster can be really tough to see in a pic. Wear vs. a flat spot even harder. Here are 2 pics of my 1824/2/0 over date that may show what I am talking about. Look first at the bird. In the first pic you can actually see the luster break or wear just above the birds eye and just a spot at the top of the wing-this is wear (you have no idea how much I wish this wasn't really wear, but...). That little itty bit knocks this out of the MS category, not to all, but to me. Now look at the second pic, the talons do not show wear, but are a little flat. The C in 50C is almost not there- this is not wear at all, but a striking issue, there is not luster break - looking at just this area you would be assuming a MS coin.

This coin is truly proof like so it shows up well in a pic.

[jesbroken]

Great explanation, JRocco, and great example. You should post the complete obverse and reverse of this coin. I would be interested in seeing it. Thanks again.

[JRocco]

Hi Jim,

I will post full images of this one on the mega early half dollar thread so I don't hijack this thread with my coin. OK?

Best,

John

[James_OldeTowne]

I'm guessing O-115 as well, and a very high EF grade.

[AlaBill-migration]

JRocco... Thanks a bunch for this detailed explanation. I too will seek out the full photographs.

 

Great informational post!

 

Bill

[hoard]

Thanks for the response but I should have clarified to say MS luster remaining in the devices and portions of the field, so to not suggest that the coin had that polished uniform look. The coin definately has wear spots that show quite clearly as breaks in the luster. On close inspection it is all the high spots and perhaps some rub in the open obverse field, the reverse not so much. TomB emailed suggesting that the coin could have been dipped at some point which I believe to be a possibility.

 

Auction photo of same coin

[michael]

xf++++++++ to au

 

closer to au than xf

[Mozin]

Sorry I am so late in responding. I think this coin would normally grade XF 45 with PCGS, maybe AU 50 with NGC. Nice coin, but worth more in that PCGS 50 holder than raw.