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 Replies: 15 / Views: 3,499 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
604 Posts |
At my LCS there is a Walking Liberty that looks to be in good shape aside from a few issues. The main issue I see with it is the lines on liberty's left left are lacking a lot of detail. The lines are visible from the foot going up to about where the shin would be then it is fades to almost nothing. The details in the head also are a lacking a little. There isn't much detail to distinguish between the hair and hat from the face. I don't see much if any wear on liberty's breast though. The area on liberty's head and the dress lines aren't flat like I would expect it to be from wear but more rounded. When I flipped the coin over to look at the feather details, to my surprise there isn't as much loss of detail as I expected from looking at the obverse. There is only slight wear on the eagle breast and I can still see much of the feather detail to where I would give the reverse a grade of AU-58.
So I am wondering if the strike on the coin is just weak causing the loss of detail in the lines on the dress and liberty's head or if the coin is worn mostly on the obverse. Sorry I don't have pictures so hopefully I explained it with enough detail to get some opinions. Maybe someone who has a MS Walking Liberty with a weak strike to where the lines in the dress and the head lack detail can shine some light on this situation.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7187 Posts |
A photo really would help in our thoughts.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
604 Posts |
I understand a photo would help by leaps and bounds but I am unable to get one. Look at the MS-60 graded one here from PCGS. The coin at my LCS has less detail in the head and the lines in the dress stop before the knee and has a lot more luster. I guess try to look at it this way, is it possible for a MS Walking Liberty to lack detail in the dress to where the lines are not fully struck? Since the reverse of the coin is in great shape I am assuming it is a weak struck coin. I am hoping someone with more experience can enlighten me on what a weak struck coin looks like. Edited by Neo13x
03/02/2015 10:55 am
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
You have perfectly described either wear or strike weakness. And we won't agree when we see pics. There is no difference in appearance.
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Rest in Peace
United States
10625 Posts |
The problem with Walking Liberty half dollars is everyone has gotten used to the Silver Eagles and now the strike issues on Walkers stick out like a sore thumb. This series is full of strike issues especially the later years S mint coins. They can be absolutely dreadful. If there is still cartwheel lustre on the coin it may be a weak struck MS coin. No cartwheel - it's probably a dipped AU coin. Edited by dave700x
03/02/2015 1:20 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
604 Posts |
Quote:
And we won't agree when we see pics I hope that's not in reference to my stubbornness.  Quote:The problem with Walking Liberty half dollars is everyone has gotten used to the Silver Eagles and now the strike issues on Walkers stick out like a sore thumb. This series is full of strike issues especially the later years S mint coins. I have seen many Walking Liberty's that have had weakness in the head and weakness in the lines on the dress but this is the first time I have seen one with the loss of the lines to this extent. It is a 1942-P if that makes any difference with the quality of strike. It certainly has a lot of luster so I know it wasn't dipped. |
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
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I hope that's not in reference to my stubbornness. Nope.  It's genuinely difficult to tell strike from wear in images. We rarely agree unanimously on sliders. Even with the best of images I will not firmly call a slider without the coin in hand. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1450 Posts |
From what I have read the Walkers had many strike issues from day one. That was one of the issues when the mint people were deciding to use the Weinman design. It seems that about every five years there was some strike issue and slight redesign. I notice there seems to be wear in Lady Libery's brest cup, and the eagle's chest feathers on almost all the coins I see that are not uncirculated. Often the lines in her dress are worn either right or left. The eagle side seems to hold up better except for the mint mark which is practically invisible sometimes. I got a couple of coins from 1916-17 and they are just worn flat. You get what you pay for with them babies.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
604 Posts |
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Often the lines in her dress are worn either right or left. I'm not sure what that means but the lines I'm referring to in this thread are the lines going up the left leg. Those lines and the eagles breast are part of the high points on the coin. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
This is what I consider a weak strike. They're easier to find in the early mintages. Detail is lacking on the high points. The arm is so weak that it looks worn off. On the reverse the eagle has no breast feathers. Yet the coin looks AU in the fields. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1917-S-REV-...em35e5485658I kept an old copy of Coin World that showed strike quality on walkers with photos. Some have less detail than this. "Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
Edited by thq
03/03/2015 12:48 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6381 Posts |
Unless you are specifically looking for a possible example of strike weakness, the Walker you are describing sounds like a "junk silver" coin. It could easily be a circulated piece that's been given a nice hard polish.
The 1942-P is a common date, readily available in attractive EF for $9 or so and in lustrous, well-struck BU for maybe $20-25.
Just sayin'.....
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
I guess it depends on how much it will cost.  If it's cheap enough, just tell yourself it is a weak strike and put it in your Album.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
604 Posts |
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And we won't agree when we see pics. There is no difference in appearance. I would have to agree to disagree. Sometimes the difference can be seen. Below are two Buffalo nickels graded by PCGS. One is VF, while the other was graded AU (Weak Strike).   |
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Valued Member
United States
300 Posts |
If you have that much doubt call it wear and move on to the next one, it's not like it's a rare date that you'll never find again..
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Pillar of the Community
United States
604 Posts |
@Nickel Guy - I think that is a great example of what a weak strike looks like. It has similarities as the Walking Liberty I see at my LCS, great luster but lacking in detail.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1748 Posts |
I have no doubt they ran dies long and hard during the war years 1941-1945. The job was to crank out as many as possible to keep the wartime economy flowing.
Edited by DoubleEagle20
03/06/2015 8:16 pm
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Replies: 15 / Views: 3,499 |
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Posted 03/02/2015 10:53 am
