Found Yesterday in the Detroit River

[ScubaDetector]

Good morning. I am in a pretty new set of circumstances and could use a little guidance. Before this year I have been living off my underwater finds since my wife died 10 years ago to the day tomorrow. She was the backbone of my computer shop. She handled the business end and I knew how to repair computers.

Anyway, I have always scrapped my silver and gold for melt value, unless I had a ring someone wanted. However, I did sell two 1926S merc dimes and an 1894O dime and some others that I found on LAND for some pretty good money. I have never sold a water find thinking they were probably just hammered anyway. In fact I never have checked the dates of my mercs. I still don't.

So yesterday I find a 1904S Barber half. I would never have checked the mintmark except for the member on here J.Cache (Thank You!) told me if it was an "S" it was valuable. Well it is an "S". To me the coin is hammered.

Anybody have any idea how I should proceed with this critter? Professional cleaning, leave it as is, clean it myself (although I have no clue without damaging it)
The black line on the back is one of my cat's hairs. He was helping me look at my finds last night!

I would like some sound advice actually. Coins and rings do not thrill me as much as old toys, WW1 bombs, guns, and machine gun magazines. Thanks for any replies.

 

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[beendetected]

I reckon cleaning her would be a mistake. And......
CHIN UP!


Sent by carrier pigeon

 

[ScubaDetector]

I reckon cleaning her would be a mistake. And......
CHIN UP!


Sent by carrier pigeon

No problem with having my chin up. I am doing great. Cleaning might be a mistake and that is why I am asking for advice. Thanks!

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I'll throw this out there for more experienced users to comment on.

Would electrolysis remove the blackness? I don't view that as destructive cleaning, but maybe I'm wrong. Sure beats polishing!

 

[Carolina Tom]

I got a black cat too! There are little foot prints on my display cases.

Electrolysis will remove the black tarnish, as will the tinfoil method. I would not clean it all. "As found" condition and original patina can not be replaced. If you sold the coin, then the new owner could decide what he preferred, all options still open to him equals more value, IMO.

Congrats on the find.

 

[kingskid1611]

I would leave as is with the story to go along with it. If you sold it the new owner can decide what to do. I am a collector but sometimes I like my coins dirty if they have a good story, regardless is they are valuable. Congrats!

 

[releventchair]

I clean silver that will be kept.
If selling,never clean them beyond a nonscratching water and mild soap,if that.
Yes a coin shop does not usually value "recovered coins as much as some others.
They are what they are and to a collector ,one of any condition may be worth a lot more than no example of a year and mint.

Lot of history in that river.
Read about boot legging in the winter causing some auto's to go ker-plunk.
And of silver coins among other things.
Congrats on them old coins!

 

[cudamark]

If your Barber half was a higher grade coin, I might have pause to clean it, however, in it's current condition (and value), I'd probably just clean it. Flip a coin. It's not going to significantly effect what you would sell it for. For a coin with your degree of wear, I like to soak them in vinegar overnight, then rub them with baking soda, and then rinse in water. This should remove all the tarnish and encrustation off the coin. If you want to clean the coin and keep the color, use acetone to clean it. That will retain the color and won't change it's appearance much. If you want to see what it will look like, try it on the walker first. It has no value over melt.

 

[seekerGH]

Definitely use the tin foil/baking soda/boiling water clean as no rubbing is required. It does not degrade the coin past what has already occurred. I have an old ultrasonic ink pen tip cleaner, same concept the jewelry stores have, and that works very very well.

These coins dont seem to be in that great of shape anyways, so I would go for the cleaning.

 

[jerseyben]

Professional cleaning on a $10-15 coin? Clean it if that makes you happy. Otherwise, not sure what the problem is? That rule only really applies to valuable and/or rare coins.

 

[huntsman53]

IMHO, the coin is really not valuable enough to warrant the expense of a professional cleaning (conservation) and you probably would not want to pay for having the coin certified and graded once the conservation is complete. However, it is more valuable than a $10 to $15 coin and if the cleaning goes well, the coin will likely have Fine-12 Details but only Net Grade at Very Good-10. Sales of these Semi-Key Barber Halves is way, way below the values noted on PCGS' and Numismedia's Price Guides, so you could probably only expect to get $60 to $100 give or take $5 or $10 either side depending on the mood of the bidders on a particular day and the market which is apparently very jittery lately but who really knows!


Frank

 

[jerseyben]

IMHO, the coin is really not valuable enough to warrant the expense of a professional cleaning (conservation) and you probably would not want to pay for having the coin certified and graded once the conservation is complete. However, it is more valuable than a $10 to $15 coin and if the cleaning goes well, the coin will likely have Fine-12 Details but only Net Grade at Very Good-10. Sales of these Semi-Key Barber Halves is way, way below the values noted on PCGS' and Numismedia's Price Guides, so you could probably only expect to get $60 to $100 give or take $5 or $10 either side depending on the mood of the bidders on a particular day and the market which is apparently very jittery lately but who really knows!


Frank

Frank, yes, it is a nice coin. But its condition is what it is. Look at the pics, there is no room for interpretation there. It is VG at best with severe environmental damage. Why string this guy along and pretend it is a valuable coin, when it simply is not.

 

[ScubaDetector]

Frank, yes, it is a nice coin. But its condition is what it is. Look at the pics, there is no room for interpretation there. It is VG at best with severe environmental damage. Why string this guy along and pretend it is a valuable coin, when it simply is not.

LOL nobody is stringing me along. I looked at the ones on fee-bay and other places. It is over a 10.00 coin for sure.

Thanks for all the replies. I am going to leave it alone for now.

 

[jerseyben]

Here is one for sale but unsold in similar grade for $25: 1904 s Barber Half Dollar Better Date | eBay

This one has original surfaces. There are a whole bunch for sale in the $20-25 range with original surfaces. Yours has severe environmental damage and thus if placed for sale among all the others, it will sell for less, if at all.

 

[coinsareawesome]

Here is one in similar condition that sold... 1904 s Barber Half Dollar Free s H 8635 | eBay

 

[huntsman53]

I will just say that I believe that you are wrong and leave it at that!


Frank

 

[ScubaDetector]

Here is one for sale but unsold in similar grade for $25: 1904 s Barber Half Dollar Better Date | eBay

This one has original surfaces. There are a whole bunch for sale in the $20-25 range with original surfaces. Yours has severe environmental damage and thus if placed for sale among all the others, it will sell for less, if at all.

That one is hammered worse than mine. We all know that coin buying and selling is subjective. Somebody might think it will grade higher than others. Not going to sell it. Not going to have it cleaned. I appreciate your input.

This is one reason I have never checked the dates on my merc's. I could have scrapped a 1916D. I will never know. I only found out this one was a semi key date because of the member JCache. I would have never looked it up.

Anyway, everyone is entitled to their opinion and all are welcome. What we are NOT entitled to do is cram our opinion down anyone's throat. It is all speculation anyway.

Good luck out there everyone.

 

[jerseyben]

To Frank and the OP:

The only reason I won't "drop" this is because you 2 are living in some sort of fairy tale world.

Facts are facts and I have evidence to support my argument (including another member above who provided additional evidence). Yes, grading can be subjective but so are price guides. However, the open market is not subjective or an opinion. It is clear and objective evidence.

This is NOT my opinion. Feel free to think I am wrong. Feel free to think it is my opinion. Or feel free to live in reality and accept facts and plain evidence.

Ok I am done now.

 

[huntsman53]

To Frank and the OP:

The only reason I won't "drop" this is because you 2 are living in some sort of fairy tale world.

Facts are facts and I have evidence to support my argument (including another member above who provided additional evidence). Yes, grading can be subjective but so are price guides. However, the open market is not subjective or an opinion. It is clear and objective evidence.

This is NOT my opinion. Feel free to think I am wrong. Feel free to think it is my opinion. Or feel free to live in reality and accept facts and plain evidence.

Ok I am done now.

Thank God!

 

[ScubaDetector]

To Frank and the OP:

The only reason I won't "drop" this is because you 2 are living in some sort of fairy tale world.

Facts are facts and I have evidence to support my argument (including another member above who provided additional evidence). Yes, grading can be subjective but so are price guides. However, the open market is not subjective or an opinion. It is clear and objective evidence.

This is NOT my opinion. Feel free to think I am wrong. Feel free to think it is my opinion. Or feel free to live in reality and accept facts and plain evidence.

Ok I am done now.

WOW. I agree 100% with huntsman53. WHAT fairy tale world do you perceive I live in? I said it was worth over 10.00 and that is it. You really have no clue what it will sell for at all. Glad you are done.