# Nuismatists - help with a rare coin please? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2014, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuismatists-help-with-a-rare-coin-please/697092 "2014-09-01T00:04:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuismatists-help-with-a-rare-coin-please/697092/1 "2014-09-01T00:04:52Z")
Was going though some old stuff in the garage today and out popped a coin. Looked like a dime. It was a dime. From the country of Hawaii. Under the reign of King Kalakaua I. Dated 1883. This seems in fairly good condition. You can read everything, there is some tarnish on the back, but overall it’s in nice shape and a 5X loupe doesn’t show any abrasions from someone ineptly trying to clean it. It is the same size as a dime is today. How rare is this coin and what do you think this might be worth? Here’s pictures of the front and back: [http://www.ctrpcs.com/hawaiicoin.jpg](http://www.ctrpcs.com/hawaiicoin.jpg) Anything you could enlighten me on would be appreciated. Thanks! Ric ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuismatists-help-with-a-rare-coin-please/697092/2 "2014-09-01T00:26:11Z")
**Samclem** will know best, but for now, [this site/page](http://www.ngccoin.com/ngccoinexplorer/CoinDetail.aspx?CoinID=50010) may be of interest. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuismatists-help-with-a-rare-coin-please/697092/3 "2014-09-01T01:21:48Z")
Please don’t polish it to get rid of the tarnish!!! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuismatists-help-with-a-rare-coin-please/697092/4 "2014-09-01T01:31:36Z")
> [@Rico](#): > > How rare is this coin and what do you think this might be worth? Here’s pictures of the front and back: [http://www.ctrpcs.com/hawaiicoin.jpg](http://www.ctrpcs.com/hawaiicoin.jpg) > > Ric I’d grade it Fine from your pics. May bring $30-50 on ebay in that condition. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuismatists-help-with-a-rare-coin-please/697092/5 "2014-09-01T02:10:29Z")
Thanks Sam. No, I know better than to polish it. Appreciate the quick responses. ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuismatists-help-with-a-rare-coin-please/697092/6 "2014-09-01T02:46:11Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Please don’t polish it to get rid of the tarnish!!! Being the non-coin collector I am, I’m pretty sure if I’d found a coin like that I’d dig around to try to find my silver polish. Please explain to this idiot why that’s a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuismatists-help-with-a-rare-coin-please/697092/7 "2014-09-01T03:06:22Z")
**Julius Henry** : See here. [http://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/2009/05/cleaning\_coins.php](http://coins.thefuntimesguide.com/2009/05/cleaning_coins.php) ---
**Author:** ![Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emtar_KronJonDerSohn)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuismatists-help-with-a-rare-coin-please/697092/8 "2014-09-01T03:09:43Z")
> [@Julius\_Henry](#): > > Being the non-coin collector I am, I’m pretty sure if I’d found a coin like that I’d dig around to try to find my silver polish. Please explain to this idiot why that’s a bad idea. If it is cleaned or polished it gets a funky grading indicating so and it is worth less. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nuismatists-help-with-a-rare-coin-please/697092/9 "2014-09-01T19:56:11Z")
The coin looks just fine the way it is; there’s no distracting dirt or crud on the coin. If someone polishes it, the letters and large flat areas, including the portrait, will be shiny, but you can never get into all of the crevices and edges around each letter, which will make it look very unnatural. A more interesting question is why was this in your garage? It’s somewhat rare, something that someone didn’t just accidentally get in pocket change. Any ideas?