Standing Liberty Quarter / SLQ - Confused About The Grade

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Author	Replies: 4 / Views: 1,022
Ralph Pillar of the Community United States 1582 Posts	Posted 09/07/2007 7:55 pm This is a series that has given me no end of frustration. I'm not experienced enough of a grader to determine the full difference between weak strike and light wear. This 1926 SLQ, in my mind, will grade somewhere in between XF-40 and AU-50, but determining just what designation to assign it is my problem. These pictures are scans - the coin is somewhat sharper in hand than in the scans; however there does appear to be wear on the head, the breast, the high points of the inner shield, the knee and lower part of the thigh. The toes on the right foot are sharper than shows here. On the reverse, the breast shows some wear as does the top of the eagle's right wing. The back of the left wing shows a little stronger detail in hand; however, you should be able to tell from the scan that there isn't a whole lot of wear there. So.....I need some help. What is your opinion of the grade on this one? If you respond, I'd appreciate your pointing out to me just what about the coin determined your decision. It will help me in bettering my knowledge of grading. Thanks. - Ralph Image: 1926.jpg 28.07 KB Image: 26Reverse.jpg 28.45 KB Report this Post to the Staff

hunter20ga Pillar of the Community United States 1173 Posts	Posted 09/07/2007 8:57 pm To me, the strike of this coin seems a bit unbalanced. The leading edge of the right wing is unnaturally weak, while the leading edge of the shield is strong. Therefore I have to assume that the strike is weak, or the reverse die was very worn. I will admit, however, that the head/face of liberty seems a bit lacking in detail relative to the shield. Experts in this series, and I am not one such expert, will give you better guidance. Report this Post to the Staff
Ralph Pillar of the Community United States 1582 Posts	Posted 09/08/2007 08:36 am Thank you for your response hunter20ga. I haven't spent all that much time on this set, and, as I stated, not being to tell the difference between weak strike and minor wear has caused some confusion for me when acquiring one of these coins, and trying to accurately grade it. Yes, there are some very knowledgable folks in this Coin Community Family with a great deal more know-how when it comes to determining the difference, and, hopefully, they'll voice their opinions on the grade of this particular coin. Ralph Report this Post to the Staff
Jaobler Pillar of the Community United States 6383 Posts	Posted 09/08/2007 10:55 am Hi Ralph, I agree the SLQs are a challenge to grade. I prefer to rely on the photos in the ANA Grading Standards book to help with grade decisions. Your coin looks like a good match for the EF40/45 photo in the ANA book. There is definite wear over Liberty's right leg and knee. All the shield rivets are visible but slightly worn. The flat head is almost certainly due to strike weakness, which is very common for most SLQ dates. There is still a lot of detail visible over Liberty's torso and on the central drapery and the date is sharp. On the reverse, the obvious wear on the edge of the eagle's right wing is I think pretty typical for an EF coin. I always check the beading at the obverse rim. These beads seem fairly immune to strike weakness and should be fully distinct on an AU or uncirculated coin. The beading on your coin is starting to blend with the rim in spots, which to me says the coin won't qualify as AU. If this coin has a significant amount of luster lurking in between the letters, I think EF45 would be a fair grade. If the luster is gone, then EF40 should be correct. In any case, you have an attractive collector coin, far superior to the typical worn SLQs that you see everywhere. Edited by Jaobler 09/08/2007 10:56 am Report this Post to the Staff
Ralph Pillar of the Community United States 1582 Posts	Posted 09/09/2007 12:47 pm Joabler - After reading your reply, and re-checking the coin, I see what you mean about the beading around the rim, and I see no mint luster, so I'm assigning it an EF40 grade. Thanks so much - that's the kind of response that helps us "newbies" learn. Ralph Report this Post to the Staff
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