1895 O Barber Dime You Vs TPG

I'll say VF-35/XF-40

45

PCGS has it at XF-45. In hand I'm seeing AU50 I'm sending it back to PCGS for gold shield service and reconsideration minimum grade XF-45. Here are a few different pics taken in window light no editing the dark pic I smashed POP to get the holder blur and swishing out will post what PCGS thinks later.

I agree with that I have PCGS Barber dimes in AU50 - 58 all over the map. This coin has been off the market quite a while can't find any historical sells on it I'm willing to spend the $120 and see what comes of it. If this was a 1906 O or similar I would simply crack it out give it acetone rinse and a dab of classic coin conditioner and submit raw but & hmmm this one needs prudent measures it's no 1906 O.
After carefully thought will send to NGC for cross over at XF-45 or higher and check the block for conservation consideration. Most of my semi-key barbers are NGC it's just personal preference will post when I get results in about 3 months I'm rooting for AU50 at worst I get a PCGS EX45 back.

Nice looking example. Let us know how the resubmit goes.




I'm confused. I thought the key date was the 1894-S.

so fortcollins...whats you're call on grade?

ooops. That might be a useful thing in a grading forum. Shows you where my concentration has been in the middle of the house remodeling.

This coin has a soft central strike. That's seen in the weakness of the hair behind the eye and in the inner parts of the wreath. It's also seen in the contrast with the very sharp dentils. With TPG graders having that oh-so-detailed 30 second glance at coins, it may explain their grade. After all, it's a dime. It's thin. Trying to strike up anything in relief on a thin planchet is a little like trying to carve Mount Rushmore on a pancake.

It's a big step from EF-45 to AU-50. This is a situation where my hoped-for EF-48 grading step might actually hurt a coin's grade. I could see a TPG assigning a 48 quickly and not budging on reconsideration. Here, though, EF-45 seems too low, and with the next step at 50, reconsideration may land it there. I can't see a TPG jumping two steps on a reconsideration. They are too entrenched in their grading to do that too often.

I've heard it said from time to time that any TPG grade is a three-grade bracket, with +/- one step permissible interpretations without their grade being considered wrong. If so, their current EF-45 suggests a range of EF-40 to AU-50.

It's very close to AU-53, but the detail on the higher relief obverse leaves and reverse grains catches my eye as maybe just a bit iffy for 53. On the other hand, EF-45 wouldn't be totally out of the question, though it seems low. If those reads are in the ballpark, the middle grade should be AU-50. The wear and a couple of the dings on the cheek is probably the focal point for TPGs, and they may have netted it down a step because of that. The problem is that they started on the wrong step.

All that said, I'm at AU-50 here.