Thanks David for your feedback. Nice to read confirmation on what I've said about my camera/lighting setup: it resolves surface details and downgrades luster and other positives. By the photo alone, one might conclude this coin is "whizzed", but that's what happens when you combine a very capable macro lens, small aperture (f11), and single-source lighting.
As this coin shows, it's problematic to grade from photos alone. And, it's particularly difficult to grade the NSF coins because the hair/laureate details are often struck weakly: NSF was a high-profile design that was reworked later as "SF" with better hair detail and lower relief. Therefore, I could give a grade that may easily not "agree" with the photo above, and put my judgment into question here. But you already have a good idea of the standards I use--make your own call now that you have the coin.
Edited by KurtS
04/21/2008 3:34 pm
Posted 04/16/2008 12:17 pm
