1798 large cent

[moah4me]

I found this on Saturday metal detecting i have done some on line research. I know that it has a large 8 with the 2ND hairstyle and has about 1/3 rotation errore . What i would like to know is if the rotation error is common and what you think the condition is on it and of course the estimated value?

 

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[Tuberale]

For an accurate grade and value, need to see coin cleaned and in better focus. Can't tell is coin has a gouge obverse or not: could be a tree needle or something on the coin. Hope so. If coin has a gouge, it will lose at least a grade in value.

Were I you I would invest in a small bottle of acetone (fingernail polish remover). Dip a Q-tip in the acetone then swirl over the surface of the coin. Acetone reacts only to organic material, such as soil, and will not affect patina. If the Q-tip gets dirty, use another. Q-tips are cheap, 1798 coins are not!

 

[moah4me]

It is not a gouge but just a small piece of grass that blew on the coin. Sorry about the quality of the pics but that is about as good as I can get

 

[Trokair]

That is a really nice cent. Mind if I ask what kind of location you pulled it out of?

 

[moah4me]

It came out of a corn field luckily no plow damage! I do research a lot of old maps and find old houses in what are now fields and woods this house sat on a small knob in a field near scottsville NY. I found it maybe 10 or 15 feet from the edge of the road after 3 hours of walking up and down the corn rows.

 

[enamel7]

Use true acetone, not polish remover. Nice find!
HH
enamel7

 

[Tuberale]

Based on your identification of the grass blade, coin could be somewhere between Fine-12 and Very Fine-20, based on Ruddy's Photograde.

Description of both
Fine (F-12): Obverse: about two-thirds of the hair detail will show. The hair will be smooth above Liberty's forehead, the top of her head, and to the left of her neck. Reverse: Some of the leaves will show individual separation.
Very Fine (VF-20): Obverse: Almost all the hair will be visible but will be worn flat on the higher points. (Note: coins made over 150 years ago were often unevenly struck or have imperfections that cannot be standardized in any grading book. Reverse: Each individual leaf will be well defined with little detail showing.

Meaning at the least this is a several hundred dollar coin. But to get that in today's market would have to be slabbed. I'd suggest ANACS for this one, as it is a dug coin.

And I should not have suggested nail polish remover, as that is not as potent. Do buy a pint of acetone at a paint shop or home building store. A pint container kept tightly shut when not in use should last for several years, and is good for cleaning all your dug coins.

Given a cleaned coin and better photos, would attempt to give a more accurate grade than above. There is wiggle-room in this range for this coin, and it might grade higher for some people.

Coin really needs additional conservation/cleaning, even just to obtain a good grade.