Update on what the variety might be, it appears to definetly be a Sheldon3 (Scarce) variety and not a Sheldon 1 as I first thought. There is an outside, remote chance it could be the Very Rare (ca ching) NC-1 variety, but enough detail is not visible due to dirt and condition right now.
NCS is who you should send it to for the cleaning and authentication and they will forward it to NGC for grading and encapulsating if good enough, if not they will encapulsate but not grade it I believe.
Anyway, you have to join ANA or go thru a dealer to send to NCS, and then the charges mount up, so read their site carefully so you understand what they will want roughly moneywise. I seen figures of 1% of Declared value just for Evaluating the coin, the 4% of Declared value for conservation of it, then send on to NGC for variety, grading and slabbing, (maybe $80), so just so you are aware of the costs, that is why not many grounders go to NCS, but something like a Chain Cent, YES...
Rough costs: ANA membership $39
1% of declared value for
EVALUATION $60-120
Well, somewhere between 6-12 thousand for a very very rough guess at this time, If NCS thinks you undervalued they will up it on their own!!
4% of declared valuefor
CONSERVATION $240-480
for grading and slabbing $80
ADDED: gee I forgot about USPS rates: Insured, registered and in padded envelope, so that will be probably 10-20? Insurance being a biggie.
So, if I read the NCS website correctly, it might cost between $419-$719!!! I sure would like to know if anyone thinks I am reading their site correctly or incorrectly on the charges. One reason, I never have sent any of my rare ones in, but none as valuable as this chain cent, yet.
http://www.ncscoin.com/index.asp
Or you can clean it yourself and sell as is and might do just as good. Or just keep it for yourself, your own collection.....
Don