1887 Proof 3d - worth grading?

[TheShinyStuff]

I was gifted this for my birthday last week. I'll start by saying I don't know much about the coin itself or grading, but I'm curious.

The coin I believe is a proof, from the 1887 Jubilee Set, but I stand ready to be corrected! It's very nice, but obviously not perfect.

Now to grading. I don't have any graded coins, in truth I'm not a great fan. But as I said, I'm curious. This coin is a bit of a 'standalone' in my stack, and it's so small I dont want it to just disappear, so thought maybe...

So, here it is, any and all thoughts would be very welcome.

[Stuntman]

That's very nice.
However, I think it is 'just' a nicely-struck currency (rather than proof) coin in GEF condition (strict UK grading) with the reverse slightly better.  This would translate into about MS61-62 in my opinion.

I would just enjoy the coin in hand rather than get it graded and slabbed.  There are lots of 1887 coins in high grade because a lot of people kept them as mementoes of Queen Victoria's golden jubilee.  

Value is perhaps somewhere between £15 and £30:

http://www.coins-of-the-uk.co.uk/values/three.html#QV

My 1887 sixpence for comparison, in similar grade to your threepence - perhaps not quite as nice.  This coin cost me £15 about 7 years ago:

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by Stuntman
adding photo of sixpence

[TheShinyStuff]

5 minutes ago, Stuntman said:

That's very nice.
However, I think it is 'just' a nicely-struck currency (rather than proof) coin in GEF condition (strict UK grading) with the reverse slightly better.  This would translate into about MS61-62 in my opinion.

I would just enjoy the coin in hand rather than get it graded and slabbed.  There are lots of 1887 coins in high grade because a lot of people kept them as mementoes of Queen Victoria's golden jubilee.  

Value is perhaps somewhere between £15 and £30:

http://www.coins-of-the-uk.co.uk/values/three.html#QV

My 1887 sixpence for comparison, in similar grade to your threepence - perhaps not quite as nice.  This coin cost me £15 about 7 years ago:

 

Thanks, that's interesting. I might have to look a bit deeper, because I know it was sold as a proof and priced accordingly! In truth though I have my doubts as well, but as i said, this is not my thing.

[Seasider]

What you could do is get a decent sized capsule with a black foam insert to stop the coin rattling around and keep it in that.  It will protect the coin and should stop you losing it down the back of the sofa.

Until I got some I had forgotten how small the old silver 3d s were.  Good photo skills you have there.

Personally I would not grade it.  It would cost about £30 and who knows what they'd make of the dings on the Queen's face - although they are probably less noticeable in real life.

[LawrenceChard]

3 hours ago, TheShinyStuff said:

I was gifted this for my birthday last week. I'll start by saying I don't know much about the coin itself or grading, but I'm curious.

The coin I believe is a proof, from the 1887 Jubilee Set, but I stand ready to be corrected! It's very nice, but obviously not perfect.

Now to grading. I don't have any graded coins, in truth I'm not a great fan. But as I said, I'm curious. This coin is a bit of a 'standalone' in my stack, and it's so small I dont want it to just disappear, so thought maybe...

So, here it is, any and all thoughts would be very welcome.

 

1 hour ago, Stuntman said:

That's very nice.
However, I think it is 'just' a nicely-struck currency (rather than proof) coin in GEF condition (strict UK grading) with the reverse slightly better.  This would translate into about MS61-62 in my opinion.

I would just enjoy the coin in hand rather than get it graded and slabbed.  There are lots of 1887 coins in high grade because a lot of people kept them as mementoes of Queen Victoria's golden jubilee.  

Value is perhaps somewhere between £15 and £30:

http://www.coins-of-the-uk.co.uk/values/three.html#QV

My 1887 sixpence for comparison, in similar grade to your threepence - perhaps not quite as nice.  This coin cost me £15 about 7 years ago:

 

 

1 hour ago, Seasider said:

What you could do is get a decent sized capsule with a black foam insert to stop the coin rattling around and keep it in that.  It will protect the coin and should stop you losing it down the back of the sofa.

Until I got some I had forgotten how small the old silver 3d s were.  Good photo skills you have there.

Personally I would not grade it.  It would cost about £30 and who knows what they'd make of the dings on the Queen's face - although they are probably less noticeable in real life.

The threepence does not look like a proof to me.

Who sold it as a proof?

You might want to compare it with this:

Of course, that's a crown, and it looks like I did not have time to post the rest of the coins.

😎

 

[LawrenceChard]

8 minutes ago, LawrenceChard said:

 

 

The threepence does not look like a proof to me.

Who sold it as a proof?

You might want to compare it with this:

Of course, that's a crown, and it looks like I did not have time to post the rest of the coins.

😎

 

I managed to find these photos:

The double sovereign is not proof!

 

[silenceissilver]

7 hours ago, TheShinyStuff said:

I was gifted this for my birthday last week. I'll start by saying I don't know much about the coin itself or grading, but I'm curious.

The coin I believe is a proof, from the 1887 Jubilee Set, but I stand ready to be corrected! It's very nice, but obviously not perfect.

Now to grading. I don't have any graded coins, in truth I'm not a great fan. But as I said, I'm curious. This coin is a bit of a 'standalone' in my stack, and it's so small I dont want it to just disappear, so thought maybe...

So, here it is, any and all thoughts would be very welcome.

Maybe it's just me being paranoid but doesn't the obverse look cleaned? Parallel streaks going upwards to the right all over the plate, specially close to the inscription?

[LawrenceChard]

8 minutes ago, silenceissilver said:

Maybe it's just me being paranoid but doesn't the obverse look cleaned? Parallel streaks going upwards to the right all over the plate, specially close to the inscription?

Possibly, or could just be some slightly streaky toning.

[Stuntman]

I'm also in the 'possibly' camp in respect of the obverse.  Another reason not to get it graded 😉

[dicker]

I don’t think it a proof, but even if it was, I think grading is necessarily a good idea.

There is no doubt it is genuine, and it would grade reasonably well, but you probably already know that!

All the best

Dicker

[TheShinyStuff]

21 minutes ago, dicker said:

I don’t think it a proof, but even if it was, I think grading is necessarily a good idea.

There is no doubt it is genuine, and it would grade reasonably well, but you probably already know that!

All the best

Dicker

Thanks for your thoughts. I still can't make my mind up, but in truth I'm npt overly bothered, it was a gift and it's a pretty little coin. Happy days. 

Just had a look at my original pics and they really don't do the colour and subtle hues of the coin amy favours, so I tried again. Its a really difficult coin to photograph well. These pics are taken at x3 magnification. The reverse is clearly better, but the detail in the crowns (both sides) is really good as is the veil. I think the field on the reverse is pretty proof like too. But don't know enough to be sure - which is why I posted in the first place!

[GoldDiggerDave]

I'd give it a fair estimate of a MS62 sometimes it's worth sticking a few coins in for grading to see how the process works and see how the coin grades. Some of the earlier ones are very sparsely populated.

The pictures attached is a MS67+ on ebay https://www.ebay.com/itm/313062260672