Help me grade this '38 Crown (pls)

Lunarowl

Lunarowl

Active Member
Silver Stacker
Hi all,

Picked up my first 38 Crown! :D

I've asked 2 dealers and they gave me different grading. Please let me know what you think.

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Many thanks!
 
Sorry, but I use a different system to most so you will get another grading variation.

My official grading of above pictured 1938 Crown: "sexy"
 
Hi Lunarowl

Nice job, it is in pretty good condition. Photos are always hard to tell. In saying that I would say it could go VF+ aEF there are a few points that would drop it down to the VF grade. The details are good, the rims and denticles look all pretty good.

Reverse - The crown itself looks ok, detail on the LHS part of the crown looks a little soft, worn and the general strike looks a little weak. The "O" in Commonwealth looks to have a small section missing on the bottom or a filled die ? This is quite unusual. I would look at that a bit more.

Obverse - Good detail in the hair and rims/denticles usual bite/teeth marks on the surface. Some general dent marks and a detracting scratch across the face.

Overall a good coin, it has some toning spots and wear, still a nice example I would think it is worth somewhere between $150 - $225 would be a guess. I look to the more experienced people to back up or comment accordingly. I am still learning as well but I hope that helps a little.
 
Thanks! :D

So far I have:
1x EF (from the dealer I bought it from)
1x aEF (2nd dealer)
1x VF+ aEF (Austacker)
1x Sexy (SilverMark)

This is harder than I thought lol
 
The fact the dealer you brought it from said EF (He wants a good price) the second dealer offered as aEF (He wanted to buy a little less) the benefit they have is that they have actually seen the coin. Also depends on the dealers as well. These are all a little subjective.

My initial grade was EF but I downgraded due to a few marks. These may not be as bad in person, as photos tend to show more detail.I am happy I was in around the same range. Would you care to share your cost ? If not public a PM if you wish :) or not at all I understand.
 
I paid below the price you've quoted. So it's a good buy then (?)

Any other opinions? I just want to put a sticker with the grading on the capsule.. but maybe i should just leave it.. lol
 
is Ouch around here, it will hurt the pocket :( paying for the rare 38 coin
 
Great 38 Crown - and a great analysis by Austacker -

I offer 2 different 1.224 grams 0.999 Au coins in capsules and with COAs of Macquarie mints -
so basically 2 x 0.0393 oz agw = 0.0786 oz agw

each pays postage.

:)

Let me know,

and sorry if this was considered 'derailing' :D
 
Thats a sweet appraisal Austacker VF+ aEF. I believe for a crown to be EF, EF+ should have a near full to full cross on the orb and the plumes (esp. left side which wears first) should have crisp center lines. This coin has been cleaned so check it with a 30X glass to see if abrasive has been used. If so drop min 0.5 of a grade. Not running it down with a bus , thoes are the first 3 points i check in a collectable crown .
Good buy, 38s will only get dearer. Good luck youve got the BUG.
 
Thanks for the offer Thucy. It's not for sale/swap atm.
As mentioned it's my first 38 crown, so i might hold on to it for a bit to accompany my 37 :)

From what i heard from the dealer, apparently most of 38 crown have weak strike, so most of them won't have the full cross on the orb.. is that right?
Don't have a 30x magnifier, and have no idea how to check anyway even if I have one. Should i take another pic with my dslr?
So what's the consensus? Is it VF, VF+ or aEF?
 
Id go VF with the option of uping to VF+ if it was in hand.
My 2 Bob worth is if your buying coins for investment you need a glass with LED light to realy see the coin.their be many a trap for the young player, there are so many shonkie coins out there , eg there is a local market seller that rubs ALL his cleaned coins with dry bicarb then with used deisel oil to give them a circulated uncleaned look. Well at a glance they look A1, under a glass you see there crap/junk. Youll do your dough without one...........PM me ill send you one.
 
Very Fine, nudging EF. Great closeups thanks. The indicators to look for are the wear are the cross on the orb. the 2 upright bits in the crown have ridges also, that wear out as do the sides of the crown itself, the little arrow looking bits. Similar to grading with 8 pearls and center diamond on a penny. both coins appear to be worn out on all spots unfortunately. if not EF for sure. The orb goes first followed by the sides.

the other stuff are fields, rim damage, signs of cleaning, luster, strike, anything detracting from its original strike. And, your both look great.

its important to weight and measure them too.
 
Thanks Philski :)
Forgot about this thread. I'm going to take a better pic tonight with me new compact camera :)
 
metalzzz said:
Is a 38 the key date for crown collecting?
Click to expand...


Yes, only 100,000 minted

The 37 has a mintage of 1,000,000 which I think is still not alot for a coin that was meant to be circulated.

SS77
 
Source: http://www.australianstamp.com/coin-web/history/grading.htm#CrownGrading

1937-1938 Australian Crowns:

On the reverse of these coins at the very top of the crown is a cross with a circle (or 'Orb') below it. On this circle is one vertical and one horizontal band which form another, very light, cross. This light cross should be checked for wear.

The next point to check are the nine pearls lined up vertically below the Orb. Are they rounded or do they show any sign of flattening ? On each side of the pearls is a vertical line known unofficially as a 'Spire'. Each has a raised line running down the centre referred to as a 'Flute'. Check the Flutes for wear. Look also at the rims and denticles for any wear, rim ricks, chips, bumps or bruises.

If there is absolutely no wear on any of these high points - a magnifying glass should be used to check - then the obverse side may be graded UNC. Before assigning that grade, check the fields and designs for scratches, wear, abrasions and porosity of the surface. Circulation coins drop from the minting presses into containers which may cause indentations to occur. 1937 and 1938 Crowns were distributed throughout Australia to banks by ship and rail. During transportation, particularly because of the large size of the crowns, it was common for 'Bag Marks' to occur . The grading is still UNC if only bag marks and no other wear is found - the coins description would be something like - UNC with bag marks or UNC with rim nicks. However, unless the coin still has full lustre (even under surface patina or toning), it should be graded downwards.

On the obverse, the highpoints to check include the King's hair, top of ear, eyebrow, nose, jaw line and neck, plus the rims and legends. Do the combing lines in the hair stand out clearly ? Has the eyebrow been flattened ? Is the lobe of the ear worn or damaged ? Are their marks in the field ?

Once you have mastered the art of these examinations, grading the coin should become less of a black art and more of a science. You will be in a much better position to negotiate a reasonable price based on the evidence of wear displayed by the coin, not on the seller's powers of persuasion with an eye towards a fast buck.
 
Ok here you go, as promised :)
I think pic resolution is high enough. No hiding here, all scratches, dents, wear are visible.
Please share your thoughts. I wonder if this coin has been cleaned? How do you tell?

Many thanks!

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hmm.. i think the files i've uploaded has been resized by the upload script :|
 
Personally I would grade this coin as a VF

The cross on the orb is too worn to be anything better than this grade.

Central cross in the middle of the crown has taken a heavy strike.

The left Fleur de lis is worn

2 pearls above the central cross seem to have wear as well.

Numerous coin knocks on the crown, font and numerals most namely the 8. (and) we haven't turned the coin to the obverse, or rim yet!

Here is a 37 that has been graded EF. Sometimes its nice to have a picture of a coin of similar caliber, to make comparisons.

374_aef_crown_1_1.jpg


Nice 38 tho......Wish I had a few more ;)
 
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