| Author |
 Replies: 13 / Views: 1,613 |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1372 Posts |
I got this in a small bag of Barber dimes from a seller in Sacramento. In my opinion, it's a soft strike, and definitely AU. I'm thinking 55. This is a coin that's hard to come by in higher grades. What do you think? Chance   |
|
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
36745 Posts |
I'm thinking AU-50 details, cleaned.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
1372 Posts |
I've doubts about the cleaning. None of the other 36 in the bag were cleaned. There are no hairlines in the fields, just the abrasions you see on the cheek.
Asfor the level of detail, the headband is incomplete. I'll see if I can post the link to the one on the PCGS coinfacts site ... it's an MS-67 with an incomplete headband. There's a fine "vein" on the left leaf of the corn husk on the right side of the wreath. That detail is all but gone when you get to 53.
I may use my airbrush (at very low pressure) and some acetone to remove the grunge from the legends. I think this one would slab in a problem free holder.
My photography skills leave something to be desired, as much as I try. This should probably be shot in lower light.
Chance
Edited by Chancellor Sutler
08/23/2012 10:51 am
|
|
Valued Member
United States
89 Posts |
My guess would be cleaned as well but it's in great shape so you've got that going for you.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4989 Posts |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1372 Posts |
Some photograde images of a Barber dime graded au-50. You should log on to the PCGS photograde site so you can see the enlarged versions. I don't see anything close to the kind of wear this coin exhibits. It's all academic really, since I don't slab anything. Chance   Edited by Chancellor Sutler
08/23/2012 11:20 am
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1510 Posts |
love it
Retired USAF 1983-2003
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
620 Posts |
EF40 to EF-45 I dont think you coin has been improperly cleaned.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1372 Posts |
I think some are mistaking strike weakness for wear. That's easy enough to do, and it gets even easier from the washed out over exposed pictures I have provided. I have pictures on my other computer of an 1850 Seated dollar that I had and when the pictures of it were presented, nearly everybody said that one had been cleaned ... a couple even said "harshly cleaned". NGC didn't see it that way though, and it slabbed AU-58 in a problem free holder. Lighting is really important if your intent is to convey what the coin looks like "in hand". I am working tonight, but when I take a few minutes, I'll try some alternate lighting schemes and see if I can't do a better job of accurately portraying the surfaces. I really don't feel it's been messed with at all. The guy who collected those dimes died a good ways back, and they were just loose in a bag ... nothing in so much as a cardboard 2x2. Seems to me that if somebody was of the mind set that leads one to "shine 'em up" ... some or even all of the other 36 would have gotten the same treatment. I bought 28 mercs from the same seller this evening. Most of those are minted prior to 1930. There is a single 1944 in the lot. Mostly teens and 20s. There's a 1916 ... no doubt there's zero chance of a "D", but if it was in the bag when the old guy died ... it's in the bag now. The seller is not interested in coins at all, so the notion of pulling the better dates out ... is one that I doubt ever crossed the seller's mind. If the seller knew enough to do that, I wouldn't have gotten the 1910-S in the Barber lot... I'm not saying that I can change anybody's assessment of this coin, but it would be foolish to not try and present it a little better, if only because I need to be able to do a better job of that end of things. I don't sell much, but pictures are all you have when it comes time to move stuff along, so the education won't be wasted. Chance Edited by Chancellor Sutler
08/23/2012 11:05 pm
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
3540 Posts |
Believe AU as well. Believe the lighting is too bright and washing out the luster.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
4989 Posts |
Always tough to grade from photos. Send it to PCGS or ANACS and post the results may well come in higher than our conservative estimates. Doubt we'd see MS from this one but would not shock me if it came back in an AU-53 or AU-55 holder
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1372 Posts |
I'm certain that it's not uncirculated. One of these days I will have to break down and get some stuff slabbed. I probably have (maybe)10 coins that I feel would be worth investing the money into. I'm not sure this is one of them, though.
I'm also virtually certain that this coin is unmolested. I bought 65 dimes from the daughter in law of the same collector, and the 64 others are in "as found" condition, having never been cleaned. This coin was treated no differently than any of the others ... no "ivory tower" so to speak, and if he didn't consider it particularly special, why would he bother to clean it and leave it rattling around in the bag with 36 other dimes?
Chance
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
36745 Posts |
All we can do is give opinions based on what we see in the photos that are posted. The better the photo, the more accurate the responses will be.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1372 Posts |
Sure, I understand that, and I'm not really being argumentative. The photograde pictures are a great resource, and if you get beyond the initial impression and actually look at (study) wear points, a group of astute observers ought to still arrive at pretty much the same place (give or take) I think that some folks go with their "gut" feeling or instincts, and I can say that I have offered my opinion on series' that I know pretty well, just based on experience. The problem with that ... is that grading has eased on some series', the barbers in particular. The old timers who were grading those coins in the 60s, are appalled at what gets a F-12 designation today. There have been articles written and published dealing with that aspect of collecting Barber coins. In their day, all of the letters of Liberty had to be full and distinct. It's far more lenient today, weak, and even partial letters in "LIBERTY" are allowed. I'm trying to figure out what to use for a light source, and I'll get some better pictures taken. If I recall ... a dark background has worked better for me with Silver coins. I'm going to try that this evening. Until then.... Chance Edited by Chancellor Sutler
08/24/2012 11:41 am
|
| |
Replies: 13 / Views: 1,613 |
|
Posted 08/23/2012 10:49 am
