Just got a lot of French coins and it had some neat versions of 5 francs 1873 A. I find it quite hard to decide which one of the two I should deposit to my collection. Both are well preserved. One of them even has most of its mint luster. I am more inclined on keeping the first coin but some parts of the design are worn more than on the second coin (under magnification). The second coin, however, has more surface damage than the first one... Where do you draw the line...
i would choose the second one, the first one has a reverse rim nick at the reverse bottom and more ware on the leaves plus it has less grime on the reverse compared to the first one.
I know! The rim nick was also my concern. But, on the other hand, the second coin has more nicks at the center of the coin. Hercule's nose has also been damaged which is game breaker for me :(
Where do you draw the line as a coin collector? Is preserved mint luster less important than some damages on the surfaces?
I have added more detailed pictures for comparison.
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