Another 1909-S VDB--Thoughts?

Kurt

If its possible can we get pics of the obverse which show the rim and the area below the bust ?

Metalman

Check the coin for a small die crack below the bust closer to the right side this die crack may or may not be present but it goes a long way toward authentication if it is ,, also check the rim above I(N) for dash shaped rim nicks and above WE for any visable rim nicks that resemble acute accent marks (if these marks are present there is a chance that the coin is a struck conuterfeit .)

Metalman

quote:

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as for the grade of this coin ,,by PCGS looser standards it may holder at 64 (If the rim damage does not eliminate it from PCGS slabbing standards)

By the older and more critical standards the coin is a 63.

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Metalman, I think your a little hard on Lincoln grading. You have a lot more experience and knowledge than me, but I'm learning fast. At my local shop there's two Lincoln experts that run it....I'm learning a lot from them. They consistantly grade coins higher than I do and VERY, VERY rarely do they ever use any magnification. I think I've seen them use a loupe 2-3 times ever, and I go there 1-2 times a week. I've seen coins they send to PCGS and they always get the grade right, rarely have I seen a prediction by them miss. It's a fun place to hang out. Anyhow, some of the small hits we are so critical of really don't have a huge effect on the grade, it's all about eye appeal, luster and flow lines.

I think PCGS is a bit more forgiving than most people here think. Like I've mentioned before, I think there's a lot to learn from browsing the ha.com slabbed coins. There's some great photos in there and you can pick up their grading habits by looking at them. Between this shop and ha.com, I think I've learned a lot about grading Lincolns.

Homer, thanks for that detailed info! Currently, I have no reason to suspect a forgery, as it's passed the accepted diagnostics, and microscopic analysis shows the telltale grain common to the alloy mix problems of this mintage. From an evidential standpoint, I wouldn't want a "false positive" to have more weight over clear indications of a genuine coin. But, you can't be too safe, so I appreciate the info!

And, speaking of hard grades...one person on another forum thought this was a VF, and another thought the color was "off". When pressed, they couldn't quantify their reasons. Unless there's a real reason to suspect a toned coin, color is simply the effect of oxidation at the nanometer scale shifting reflected light into a multitude of visible colors. Eventually, when the oxidation gets thick enough the color turns uniformly brown, hence the BN color designation by the grading firms.

BadThad-
Yeah...I almost spit out my coffee when I read "VF" lol. I think some people downgrade on these forums just to sound like a seasoned expert. I'm sure not, but I know an MS coin when I see it!

Wow, thanks for assembling that collection of slabbed PCGS Lincolns! I'm a little surprised the spotted/nicked one graded 64 RD, but maybe mine has a chance at 64 too? A few of those have that telltale "wood-grain" toning that's due to the improper alloy mix. That alone could be a diagnostic for authenticity, because it would be pretty darn hard to fake that at the microscopic level.

That MS-67 has some well-struck features on Lincoln. But $98K? There's still a hit to the "T" in "CENT" on the reverse. I'll be reasonable and guess my rim strike knocks off a point, so 63-64 RB is a reasonable grade.

Thanks for that...very cool!

I agree with Thad, MS64, the color looks off in the pics so I am guessing red brown for color. $1,500 is a great price for this coin, was it from a local coin dealer or online? Very nice coin, congrats!

Hi KurtS,

I can't wait to hear the result of your coins too. I am too novice to give a grade/opinion on your coins. It does look lovely and it's my goal to have a similar sample in the near future....