posted on January 15, 2001 03:47:49 PM
This coin looks cleaned unfortunately. Cleaning drops the bottom out of good old coins. Your copin looks in fairly good condition (ms45-50) maybe. Hard to tell from a photo, even though the photo is a good one. A jewelers loop is usually necessary for these kinds of borderline grades. Probably 20-35 I would guess. I hope this helps.
posted on January 15, 2001 03:52:25 PM
I'm not sure about it being cleaned. I have a ton of old coins that have been stored the past 20 years, and I haven't cleaned any of them myself since pulling them out to look at them. Many of the others are very dirty too.
I am going to do some reading before deciding what to do with this one.
posted on January 15, 2001 04:43:58 PM
Hard to say for sure from the picture, but I'd guess it would grade between VF and EF.
Prices: VF-20 : $18.00 EF-40 : $31.00
COINS 101
Before I say anything else, I want to tell you to NEVER, NEVER, NEVER CLEAN YOUR COINS!!!! Cleaning a coin will almost certainly destroy its value to a collector. Now, here's some more information to help you evaluate any coins you might have questions about. Condition is important- the grades that are typically used are as follows:
Circulated coins (Note: The number in parentheses denotes a particular grading system and may not always be given):
AG (3) - About Good : Typically only a silhouette of the design, with the rim worn down into the letters.
G (4) - Good : The design will be clearly outlined with possibly a tiny amount of detail visible. The rim will be weak in spots.
VG (8) - Very Good : Heavy wear over the entire coin, with about a quarter of the design visible. The rims will be complete.
F (12) - Fine : About half the original design detail will be visible, and lettering will be distinct.
VF (20-30) - Very Fine : About three quarters of the original design will remain. There is still a fair amount of the finer design details visible.
EF (40-45) - Extremely Fine : At first glance, the coin will appear to be almost new, but on closer inspection there will clearly be slight wear visible.
AU (50-55-58) - About Uncirculated : At first and second glance, the coin will appear uncirculated, but on closer inspection, there will be just the slightest wear on the high points of the design.
Uncirculated coins: (Note: Distinguishing between these levels is far beyond the scope of this short post.)
UNC/BU (MS 60) is the lowest level that is still considered uncirculated.
(MS 70) is the highest- a perfect coin with absolutely no flaws.
The difference in value between grades may be negligible (a 1903 Barber dime is valued at $1.75 in G and $2.25 in VG) or significant (a 1924-S Buffalo nickel is valued at $55.00 in F and $350.00 in VF), depending on the particular series and date/mint. It can even be worse in the uncirculated range- an 1879-O Morgan dollar is valued at $350.00 in MS64 and $3,050.00 in MS65.
Speaking of mints, the mint mark is of critical importance (a 1916 Mercury dime in MS65 from Philadelphia is valued at $85.00, while one from the Denver mint is valued at $15,500.00). Each mint has its own mark, and they are found in different locations for each type.
The ones most likely to be found are:
Philadelphia - no mark or P
Denver - D
San Francisco - S
Carson City - CC
New Orleans - O
Less likely to be found:
Charlotte - C (older gold coins)
Dahlonega - D (older gold coins)
West Point - W (newer collector coins)
One last point... remember- NEVER, NEVER, NEVER CLEAN YOUR COINS!!!!
