Great Deal or Professionally Deceptive?

[liveandievarieties]

Saw this on eBay-

http://cgi.ebay.com/1922-PLAIN-WHEAT-PENNY-IN-GOOD-CONDITION_W0QQitemZ220739953887QQcategoryZ139803QQ cmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4712.m8QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DM W%26itu%3DUCC%26otn%3D8%26po%3DLCA%26ps%3D63%26clk id%3D7320767960231961337#ht_500wt_1069

Sorry if I didn't do that link right, the exact title is-
1922 "PLAIN" WHEAT PENNY IN GOOD CONDITION

At first glance one thinks this could be an uncirculated RB example. It looks like the strong rev too.

From my own experience guessing and cherrypicking MS lincolns from ebay pics- I'm going to venture that this could very well be a coin with an intentionally deceptive cleaning. Detail of the coin looks nice, but photos are too poor to be sure. Seller also has 0 feedback which shouldn't necessarily preclude business, but if I had a brand new account, I'd show darn good photos or expect to be under suspicion.

Seller's other listings are pretty run of the mill though, and don't appear to have any questionable coins. I'm leery of the absolute lack of description for the listing, but who knows? These are the type gambles I live for! But I've got a show this weekend, I won't be a taker on this one.

Anyone have contrasting perspectives or agree? I love dissecting a potentially excellent listing, would love to hear opinions.

[jcuve]

My initial reaction without reading your thread (and just heading to the link) was deceptively cleaned. The seller states "good condition" and thus does not go out on any condition limbs. 0 feedback - 22 bids - it all smells bad...

[RWBILLER]

thats a wierd 1922 - the reverse is obviously a strong rev - but the obverse doesn't have the weakness in liberty or the date. maybe because it is in nice condition - although cleaned - i think - its a big gamble on that coin.
roger

[liveandievarieties]

In all honesty- even as a problem coin (if there were more disclosure from the seller), and assuming that it is definitely genuine- if this were sent to NGC who gives actual numerical detail grades instead of just getting a "genuine" holder, there would still be a strong market for it. Let's say hypothetically that NGC did give it an AU-50 details grade I'd expect it to be worth at least $1200, maybe more. Current Greysheet for a problem free AU is $3750. Even if it's cleaned and were to get MS details, it could easily get a respectable fraction of it's $8,000 MS-60 bid price. Just food for thought, not suggesting it's genuine, but man, that's tempting!

[Brad]

Probably a 1922 D with a scraped off D. The scaped off D can be hidden with excessive cleaning. Or a weak D made into a No D will excessive cleaning. I would not touch this coin, and I don't think the grading companies would put Genuine NO D on it either.

[RWBILLER]

brad:
we think the same!
roger

[trails]

UCK!!!!!!!!!!

BJ Neff

[eaxtellcoin]

I sometimes buy problem coins with corrosion or a scratch. Hate the cleaned ones, wouldn't touch it either....

[kloccwork419]

Good thing about a seller with 0 feedback is that they wont see a penny of it until theres a positive feedback for the sale. The bad thing is that the buyer might give one not knowing if is real or cleaned. But it is worded to keep fault off the seller

[liveandievarieties]

Agreed. I am a little more risky in what I buy because I have the protection against being stuck with garbage on ebay.

Please don't think I'm crazy for expressing unpopular views, my comments have been factual, but sometimes it's fun to play devil's advocate in the interest of stimulating debate.