What Is Your Tolerance Level Toward 'Impaired' - Not 'Perfect' Coins ?

Good question, right now I am trying to put together a problem free type set. But, at that price I think details would win me over. The sharp higher grade may be cleaned but is better then a lower grade I think.

I would gladly own that coin. Especially at that price. If it picks up some toning as you say, it will be quite attractive.

The OP's coin I would regard as a 'details' coin, not an 'impaired' coin.

I am more familiar to applying the comment 'impaired' to a proof coin that has been degraded in some way, and is in less than pristine condition.

'Details' and 'impaired' normally require some sort of clarification on what the nature of the 'details' or 'impaired' actually happens to be.

Would I have bought the OP's coin, if given the opportunity?
Yes, and for exactly the same reasons.



Actually, my first numismatic love is for ancient coins. Almost 100% of them would qualify for some sort of a 'details' comment. What is normally done with ancient coins however, is that they are fully described as a matter of course.
The top condition for a pristine ancient coin, is that it is simply described as 'as struck', rather than given some sort of 'MS' rating.
Nothing said about 'impaired' or 'details' - these terms more properly applied to milled coins or modern machine made coins.

I try to avoid problem coins. They are much harder to sell why it comes time to upgrade, and they have lost their originality.

GERMANICVS - I have bought a few bust half dollars that look similar to your dime. It seems that so many of them were cleaned, but they are beautiful coins.

My other favorite series is Large Cents and the 1808-1814 Classic Head Series is another area where I've 'had to settle' for details coins usually with minor environmental damage. This is more serious than cleaning but the copper was of such poor quality that I really haven't been able afford these in a clear grade. I hope to eventually upgrade one year at a time.

Sweet! An "absolutely" on would I buy it. I have many dimes falling into the topic at hand. No Capped Series yet though. So long as it doesn't look like the bumper of a fifties Cadillac or as though it were sandblasted I'm fine with cleaned.

For Classic coins, if all it was was a dipping, and the price was right I would buy it. I also buy holed coins. It was an accepted practice at the time of issue. While I would prefer them not holed, the price can be very attractive. I recently purchased Capped Bust Half that, aside from the hole, would grade a conservative VF35; for a bit over melt. Which at the time was about $5. Why? Because the dealer ( I'm a dealer myself) was what I refer to as a "Snob". He was telling me that he would never purchase a holed coin, on it's own because they are "trash". When I pointed out the raw, and unpriced CBH to him and asked him what that "trash" was worth. He grimaced and qouted me 10 percent over melt....then pulled the other holed coins from his case!

Whizzed no. Acid dipped no....except for some key date nickels. Converted to jewelry ( that is with a surround), perhaps.

I try to avoid problem coins but would buy scarcer early type with minor problems if the value was good. Can't be an easily replaceable coin and it still needs to have decent eye appeal.