1946 D Booker T Washington Half Dollar Grade

Pics are too soft to see surface details fully and luster seems subdued.

without better photos showing the actual luster in hand I cant see this making a 66 grade. if all the luster is intact I can see it at MS65. still a nice example

A coin dealer friend of mine explained if you want to get into numismatics, you need to make an assumption that you will be investing in an education not sinking money in unless you take outsized risks such as buying four figure coins you neither understand the series nor know how to grade. On that point, learn how to grade photos of coins by first establishing whether the photos are credible and representative of the coins luster (as mentioned), strike, and more importantly can you clearly see through the pixels any distracting issues, like bag marks, fingerprints, verdigris, etc. Sellers on ebay run the spectrum, but regrettably there are opportunists trying to make money with questionable tactics or blatantly deceptive. That was my experience, you are going to win some or lose some. Also in the future, it may help to just say whose picture it is, why you need the coin graded, you may get more information to help a buy decision. Good luck!

I'm on another coin forum where there are folks buying and selling. just about every coin I see for sale on there something is wrong with or the photos are so bad there is no way to tell.. no doubt in my mind that they would not grade straight. people are paying like full retail for these coins and I bite my lip every time I see one that people are bidding on. I just want to post on the thread that the coin would grade straight. I cant stand it when I see folks throwing large $$ at these coins. to each his own but it is disheartening and eventually when they figure it out may turn them away from the hobby

I know that Booker T Washington 1/2 dollars in MS64 or 5 are fairly easy to get, but
to an Australian collector, US $35 is a good price. A have a coin like this, in about MS-63.

BTW, I never buy via ebay; I like to examine every coin in hand before deciding to buy.
These days, I have gone a long way up market and always attend public auction view days, as well as attending coin shows.
You get to personally meet the people and the coins
Thus, I come to know the more important collectors and dealers in the coin business, and have established good and trusting numismatic relationships.