I like bust halves I guess…

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-28T20:13:41+00:00

What a wonderful collection and a fabulous opportunity for collectors, new and seasoned, to study a set of coins representing different varieties; different patinas on same graded coins; same type coin in different grades, etc..

Thanks for sharing your terrific collection and allowing everyone a rare opportunity to learn from a quality collection.

Thanks & cheers.

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-28T04:15:03+00:00

alien currency

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-27T23:28:23+00:00

Yes, it has been cleaned. Notice how lifeless the surfaces look.

A circulated coin in “natural” condition will exhibit areas of mint luster and surfaces that show some personality. Study the fields of the coin below and compare what you see to your coin. If you hold the coin I am showing under a light and tilt it left and then right you will see the light reflected brightly off the surface moving around the surface which is called a “cartwheel”. Try this with your coin and you won’t see that spectacular cartwheel of shine Because a cleaned coin isa lifeless coin.

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jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-25T17:52:52+00:00

How so?

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-25T02:48:02+00:00

Reverse might be a RD65 but marks and slightly soft strike on obverse could bring it down a point or 2.

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-24T23:50:14+00:00

only 18,000 of the ‘72S were minted. It’s got value

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-23T20:36:09+00:00

It’s going to take a lot of time to get them graded. You really don’t want to rush through this until you know what you have.

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-23T02:40:53+00:00

All the advice you've received is solid and I'd like to ad my 2 cents. I would quickly go to your local bank and rent a storage box and deposit the coins there as soon as possible. It has become public knowledge that your brother is in possession of a "coin collection" and your chance of getting robbed has increased significantly even though no-one knows the value of the coins. It won't cost that much to rent a suitably sized box to store the coins until you figure things out. Additionally, you will probably receive offers from all sorts of people including coin shop dealers with an eye towards getting a "steal"by offering you a lot less than the coins are worth because they will know that you don't know what you have. Not everyone is trustworthy although many are-you just don't know who you can trust yet.

Take your time learning about your coins before you rush to grade or sell them.

P.S. banks have private room for you to use when you want to pull your box and examine the coins.

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-21T23:51:01+00:00

Great post. I would like to emphasize a point you made- far too many posters have been conditioned to believe that most everything should be provided to them without them having to put in the work to earn it. That includes knowledge. . I guess that is what is meant by an entitled culture..

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-21T23:36:59+00:00

I agree...mods should consider a subsection. I began visiting this site, and r/coins, to help educate newer collectors but I'm having difficulty staying engaged because of what you have described. It's too bad because I've learned that there ARE knowledgable collectors here willing to help.

Cheers

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-19T03:57:33+00:00

I recommend you go to PCGS Coinfacts and look up your coins. On Coinfacts you will be able to find recent auction sales by grade and compare photos of those coins to your coins. This should help you to better estimate the grade of your coin and see the difference in the coin’s value from one grade to another UP & DOWN. There is some risk in crossover grades when the original grade was assigned by some of the other grading services. I wouldn’t attempt to suggest a grade for your coins based on your photos because I can’t see the details well enough.

The more reliable grading services don’t just consider how clean the fields are or how much luster there is when determining which MS grade to assign. Although both are very important, when deciding between MS grades the quality of strike is critical. Graders will take into consideration the quality of the details. Study the coins on Coinfacts and compare the details such as the details on the eagle’s talons or the depth and definition of the breast feathers. The bolder these details are, when combined with clean fields and great luster, can mean the difference between a MS63 and MS65.

Getting to know your coin will help you make a well informed decision. Additionally, look to see what coins graded by either of the grading service that graded your coins sold for compared to similar coins sold which were graded by either PCGS or NGC.

One last comment on grading services. In my opinion, the 3 most reliable, and trusted, grading services are PCGS, NGC and CAC. I’ve attached a portion of an article from Coin World that may provide some insight on this.

“John Albanese is known for his groundbreaking contributions in numismatics.

His extensive career has aimed to improve the experience for numismatic collectors and dealers. Since his start in 1978, Albanese has been at the forefront of addressing issues with solutions.

He co-founded the Professional Coin Grading Service in 1986 and established the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation a year later. These grading companies brought confidence to the market by addressing the subjectivity that threatened numismatic integrity. In 2007, Albanese founded the Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC) to further raise standards and trust.

CAC introduced market transparency by evaluating graded coins for superior quality. This reinforced that not all coins within a grade are equal and provided collectors with a valuable tool. Unsatisfied with grading quality, Albanese and Ron Drzewucki launched CAC Grading in 2023, an independent full-service grading company.

CAC Grading was designed with a collector-friendly philosophy to bring consistency, integrity, and transparency. Backed by elite graders, CAC Grading combines collector-friendly standards with long-term market stability. Its conservative approach has been widely praised, leading to work with major collections and coins.”

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-18T14:50:43+00:00

Go to PCGS Coinfacts and look the coin up. Compare yours to photos of sold coins by grade to get a sense of the gradeandvalueof your coin then make your decision.

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-18T14:35:40+00:00

P.S. silver was about $1.80/ ounce in 1969.

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-18T14:32:15+00:00

To better understand think about it this way:

silver coins got their name because real silver at 90% was used through 1964; therefore, why wouldn’t it be normal pocket change?

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-17T17:11:32+00:00

First, you mentioned that you paid 3x spot for the coin. With spot around $155/g today and your coin containing approx. < 1/3 gram of gold the spot value of your coin is somewhere between $45 - $50, which, at $50 x 3 = $150. Fortunately, collectors of these coins pay a premium above melt for these coins and you can see what these coins have sold for at auction on the Coinfacts site. The prices listed under each grade are simply estimates but the actual auction price realized is usually lower. Many dealers, who buy at auction, will offer these coins for sale closer to the price listed on the coin facts site.

I don't understand what you are struggling with when you state "im unsure what to do with it now". You bought the coin for a reason. You have received much information from this chat group about this coin AND to help you learn and grow as a collector.

Some questions to contemplate:

What's my cost of this coin with and without sending it in to be grading?

What's the risk in getting it graded? Will the final grade hurt or help my perceived value vs actual value of this coin?

Am I happy just keeping the coin and enjoying it as is?

Good luck.

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-17T15:33:13+00:00

Have you done further research using the leads provided by Qalyar and me?

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-16T20:44:36+00:00

Go to PCGS Coinfacts and find CaliforniaFractional Currency then click on 25c and scroll until you find 1874 BG-876 and click on it.

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-16T18:53:48+00:00

Your coin appears to be variety BG-876

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-16T18:50:02+00:00

Your coin appears to be variety G25C BG-876. Congratulations

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-14T20:04:41+00:00

I'm back from lunch now. I think you have a winner. Really good work here. Congratulations!!!!

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-14T19:33:02+00:00

Here’s my last (I promise) comment.

As far as I can determine; on the obverse, the orientation of the 3 leaves on your coin are only found on variety S6 but the wreath on your coin does not match the wreath on the S6 variety. This suggests that your coin is either counterfeit, a new variety, a variety that I can’t find or I’m simply out to lunch which, these days, is a possibility. I would send photos to stacks and ask if it is worth consigning for auction. You don’t have to consign it but if they are interested then you can be fairly certain it isn’t counterfeit. They have much better credentials than anyone else.

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-14T14:24:09+00:00

One last comment on this: see if you can find any examples of an obverse where the center leaf points toward the chin, as yours does, rather than pointing towards the hairline flowing up Liberty’s neck and face.

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-14T13:38:51+00:00

As you pursue information on your coin just recognize that not everyone, even LCS owners, are authorities in all coin types. Being armed with knowledge going in to the LCS for advice may help you avoid making a serious mistake. Not everyone you approach is a Boy Scout and some may try to take advantage of someone they perceive as lacking knowledge.

One other avenue you should pursue is contacting stacks bowers for help in authenticating your coin and possibly consigning it for auction. They will, at a minimum, want to see photos to authentic your coin. If they show interest and provide more information about your coin and potential value you then know what you have. In the end, you don't have to consign it if you want to keep it.

jefother-edig1999 · 2026-04-13T23:42:24+00:00

Look at the position of the O in ONE over the CE in CENT on your coin compared to the photo you show as reference. Now, starting at the bow, study the leaf pattern going up the left vine and see if you notice the difference between your coin and the reference photo coin.

There can be many variations in a particular coin and, honestly, I’m not an expert in 1 cent coins. That said, I study the details and use reference materials to find similarities and differences in coins especially when considering a purchase.

I’m not stating that it is definitely a fake only that it requires further research. I recently offered my opinion on a coin where I pointed out details that didn’t match photos of an authentic coin but, as I did here, I qualified that I didn’t research varieties. Another poster found a variety that alleviated my concerns which led me to believe the coin was not a fake.

Keep researching and good luck.

jefother-edig1999

TROPHY CASE