1897 Red Indian Head, Please help Grade

[lodge104]

Just picked this up for $15.83.  Seems like a really good deal, just wondering ...  How good !

[physics-fan3.14]

You got a coin with AU details, but it has been cleaned and/or polished. 

You paid full retail for it. You didn't get a "deal," but you paid a fair price for it. 

[lodge104]

How can you tell it was cleaned ?  There aren't the usual dirt spots around the devices, in the crevices or polish marks that I can see.

Just curious.  Thank you for commenting.

Just looked, AU runs from $25-$32 normally and I paid $15, so probably not too bad a deal for AU details.

[physics-fan3.14]

Yeah, that's what I said - you paid a fair price for it. 

The cleaning is evident by the "shiny" spots. A circulated coin shouldn't have them. In your pictures above, notice how the open fields are shiny, but the areas around the lettering are a different color? That is an almost guaranteed sign that it has been cleaned or polished. 

[Mark T]

The color is also a dead giveaway that the coin has been cleaned.

[lodge104]

9 hours ago, Mark T said:

The color is also a dead giveaway that the coin has been cleaned.

I would completely disagree with the color, I have certs that have the exact same color.  The following attachment, while not completely discernible from the pictures are virtually the same color.

[Mark T]

Based on your photos the Raw coin does not have a similar color , also the PCGS coin is full of luster.

[physics-fan3.14]

Sorry lodge, that is not even close to the same color. The PCGS one has a nice bronzy reddish color with full luster - the cleaned one in your OP has a hazy pinkish stripped color. 

[lodge104]

As I said, you can't really tell from the picture.  The color is almost the same.  However you are correct the luster, or lack thereof,  is completely different.

I use this philosophy for judging color. 

https://www.thespruce.com/copper-color-grading-768388

Is there something else I should be considering ?

[coinman_23885]

I agree with AU details, cleaned.

[Six Mile Rick]

It will make a sweet album filler. AU (if you are lucky) -details cleaned.

 

Rick

[BillJones]

On ‎5‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 8:08 PM, lodge104 said:

How can you tell it was cleaned ?  There aren't the usual dirt spots around the devices, in the crevices or polish marks that I can see.

Just curious.  Thank you for commenting.

Just looked, AU runs from $25-$32 normally and I paid $15, so probably not too bad a deal for AU details.

When "red" copper has a pinkish tone to it, that is never a good sign. Quite often a copper coin has been stripped of its protect layer of toning, it turns that color.

[lodge104]

It made a great album filler.  Listed it for $200 at a show last week, got $180

[lodge104]

Thanks for the tip !