Hi, so I mainly collect cents and am trying to start expanding. I have a chance to purchase an 1878 trade dollar fro waht seems to be wuite cheap. I have looked up price guides online and got the redbook and the 1878 trade dollar with no mintmark is supposedly worth at least $1000, much more than what i could get it for. So I have two questions. First can anybody give me advice on if thislooks like a a real 1878 trade dollar or some type of replica. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160410202243&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_1182 and also in the redbook, for the 1878 trade dollar, it only gives a value fro EF-40 and PF-63. why is this? Are the values about the same fro the conditions not listed?. Thanks fro the help - Nick
I think you really need to pass on this one. It don't look right and it's only the sellers first sale. Trade dollars are one of the most counterfeited coins known to all collectors. Stick around this forum and learn, and think about buying Trade dollars another day. :thumb:
well thank you very much for the advice. you might have just saved me from wasting a couple hundred dollars. It seemed kind of weird for it to so cheap for such a rare coin.
and lose the redbook for values if I could get redbook prices for all my junk Id be a millionaire! more accurate valuations in PAST ebay sales and for wholesale use the greysheets
Yes, you do. No, it doesn't look right. Can't tell if it's genuine from the photos, but at best it's harshly cleaned. Yes it is... and that's enough to checkmate this sale. Yes, they are. Yes, please do ! :thumb:
It's a very common Trade dollar issue. The photos are not good quality, it is impossible to say with certainty if it is fake or not. At the very least, it may be genuine, but cleaned to death. At worst, fake. If you don't know the series, and mainly want one for type purposes or just general interest, I recommend you buy one from a reputable seller in a top-tier TPG slab. Beware, though, fakes exist in the older, small white ANACS slabs(also fake). This thread might be of some help, although not in this case. http://www.cointalk.com/t63695/ Good point by Conder, since the 1878-P was a proof only issue. From the appearance, it never crossed my mind that it could be a proof! Thanks for the correction. ks/3-10
The 1878 is hardly a very common issue, but it could be an 1878-S with a removed mintmark. The picture isn't too good in the mintmark area and it really doesn't look like it was struck as a proof.
