1798 silver dollar

outlaws15

Sr. Member
Jul 1, 2020
402
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Missouri
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All Treasure Hunting
I sent this off to NGC last yr.
What are they referring to when they sent it back altered surface?
If it was because it was cleaned(I'm sure it could have been way, way back in the day).
If they sent back because of clean or any other reason is it worth sending it off to another appraisal company to get it encapsulated or is once enough?
I've seen encapsulated coins that say clean on them.
Thanks
Rick
 

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One of two things. It's either been cleaned at some time or they're referring to the damage.
 

Thank you.
When first seeing this coin in my parents collection, they only had them cause they were passed down from a few generations. All piled in cloth bags. I notice on obverse side starting at the bottom of the seven star side a area that looked like it had been rub for awhile as a good luck piece. Just my first thought. I wondered if that was it.
Since I put these pictures on here and could blow them up I see some scratches that look deep on both sides.
I think it cost me 56 bucks to send it off.
I'm wondering if anyone's knowledge/experience if I should try sending it off again to another grading service? Not to sell, but to have in my collection.
I've spent a ton of time on these bags of coins to make a nice display. I have one that I did get graded, which leads my to another question.
The graded one is a 1911 D 2 1/2 dollar gold coin AU 55. It doesn't say weak or strong on it. NGC graded it.
My question is when looking up a price do you average between a strong and a weak? I see those two much more than just a grade without strong or weak.




One of two things. It's either been cleaned at some time or they're referring to the damage.
 

Cleaned would say cleaned and damage would say damage. Altered surface usually refers to a coin that has been dipped (which I don't think this coin was) or tooled (which I don't think this coin was) or whizzed …..which I do think this coin was, or at least partially whizzed as you alluded to by already noticing the "rubbed" areas.

Still a beautiful piece of our nation's first coinage!! :icon_thumleft:

HH all!

Greg
 

If you're just looking to protect the coin, you can encapsulate it yourself. Any coin shop should have the cases, or, I'm sure you can get them online.
 

Thank you for the information. I had never heard of whizzed b4. Obviously I can't tell if it has been. I looked up whizzed and learned about the process. I see that the edge of this coin is very shiny which has to be out of the ordinary. I didn't see that as a condition of being whizzed. I've now have seen encapsulated coins with the description whizzed on them.
The information on this site is awesome.
Rick



Cleaned would say cleaned and damage would say damage. Altered surface usually refers to a coin that has been dipped (which I don't think this coin was) or tooled (which I don't think this coin was) or whizzed …..which I do think this coin was, or at least partially whizzed as you alluded to by already noticing the "rubbed" areas.

Still a beautiful piece of our nation's first coinage!! :icon_thumleft:

HH all!

Greg
 

Thanks I have bought coin sheets and put them in a binder by denomination. Had to tape some of the slots so coins wouldn't fall out just by turning the pages and dont accidentally pick it upside down :)
Rick



If you're just looking to protect the coin, you can encapsulate it yourself. Any coin shop should have the cases, or, I'm sure you can get them online.
 

Outlaw 15,

Beautiful coin coin, thank you for posting it for us to view. Good luck with your hunts. Walt
 

You might try PCGS or another company. I've sent stuff in to conserve, and some has come back ungraded and unslabbed. Tht was for a really worn out corroded copper coin. If it were cleaned it would say cleaned, if dug, most like would come back "environmental damage", sometimes they come back "improperly cleaned", sometimes with a grade and if damaged, it would say for instance, fine, "details". I haven't seen that notation before. Altered surface could be someone once upon a time ago trying to change a date, a mint mark, adding or removing a detail, I'm not sure...I think "whizzing" would come back as "cleaned".
 

I think it's because of the badly worn spots that it got that designation of altered surface.
 

Thanks
I'm thinking of sending it to PCGS and see what they do and I'll have that experience under my belt and maybe one day I'll be able to contribute to a post.
Not sure why I hadn't thought about looking up Altered Surface b4 this morning. The information is out there. I agree with you about the worn spots. Most of the definitions imply deception, but have the clause of not all (in my words of defining there statements)
After studying this coin some more. The rubbed spot on obverse has taken away some hair.
No I'm not going to send it off again.
Rick



I think it's because of the badly worn spots that it got that designation of altered surface.
 

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