US Coins
An "affordable" rare coin might come with problems
- Published: Mar 12, 2014, 8 PM
Sometimes to get an affordable example of a particular issue, one has to accept that a coin may have problems.
This 1832 Capped Head gold $5 half eagle has unnaturally glossy surfaces from cleaning, and the obverse field has been smoothed near Liberty’s chin. While the rims are mostly obscured by encapsulation, ANACS has also identified filed rims as another problem. Although this variety — with 13 stars on the obverse and a Square Base 2 in the date — generally sells for $20,000 and up, it brought $5,287.50 on Feb. 28, 2014, making it an accessible example of a rarity.