1903 Indian Head Cent

I think $20.00 is right on for this coin. It sure looks nice, but I'd garner an AU grade out of it at a TPG, and not worth sending in for a grade as the cost of slabbing would cost more than the coin is worth. AU for sure.

Rub or light wear on the highest parts of the coins design generally. Sometimes you can see a darker area of coloration wear a coin has come into contact with fingers or rubbed against something.

Grading is very subjective and I have spent decades learning, and looking at tens of thousands of coins. I also have paid for ANA seminars and classes on grading at least three week long classes just on grading, several on Counterfeit Detection and a few more on general coin history and coin photography. I listen to the experts that share their knowledge and try to learn each time I see or hear something new. This is a life time of schooling - one never really graduates! Read books on grading Photograde, ANA grading standards, NGC and PCGS also have published books on grading, and use the "photograde" website from PCGS.com to help by comparing to coins in hand against PCGS' grading sets used on their website.

I also look at as many coins as I can at auction viewing sessions, whether or not I plan to bid on them. How often does one get to look at and examine closely early copper US coins in high grade? Auctions are a great place to get hands on experience for nothing. (It does help that I live near by Heritage Coins), there are large auctions at most every major coin show around the country, and regular auctions in LA area and NY area.

One of the biggest challenges (even for experts) is telling an AU from a mint state coin. Knowing strike characteristics of that year and mint helps on a given coin series.

Bottom line it's up to the buyer to make the final determination - regardless of what a TPG such as ANACS, PCGS or NGC, IGC, SEGS say on a slabbed holder. Many times they will even contradict themselves. So much so there is a whole sub-business in coins of buying under-graded slabbed coins and cracking them out to resubmit in hopes of an upgrade. Makes sense when a difference of a couple of points can mean thousands of dollars in profit. (of course there is the chance you loose the same if the TPG goes down a couple of points in the coin submitted), this business model is slowly falling off as the TPG's get tighter about grades they give out.

Hope this rambling helps you understand it's not quite science nor is it concrete! If there was a perfect answer we would all be using the formula!

Great question, and I hope more will chime in on this one!

Thanks you so much for your knowledge and time. I know about him and I saw his book on Amazon, and I thought it would be a good investment that could possibly save me $100s down the road. I am new to collecting coins other than the ones I pull from circulation. I will be sure to buy the book now and I will surely see you around. Thanks for your help!

The coin looks like it may have seen slight circulation. The hair curls under the ribbon looks flattened and dark and a slightly darkened and dulled cheek. The vast majority of original circulated copper that I have seen are completely brown with only a few, mostly in high AU grades, that have traces of original red. It looks slightly circulated but the amount of red suggests a mint state coin which makes me wonder if the color is original or not.