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Originally Posted by TheNoost  1909 inverted S half is my favorite. The inverted MM is interesting, the fact that it has made it 100 years in such a nice condition, I really like the barber design. I wonder what holds it back from a higher grade. simply amazing set you have there! Thanks for the awesome contest. Welcome to Cointalk. |
I originally purchased the 1909-S Half in an NGC MS65 holder. After talking to a couple of Barber Half experts the general consensus was that this particular coin had likely been dipped to presumably remove some unattractive toning. During the process, the luster of the coin became slightly muted, which keeps it from a higher grade. You can see the difference in hand very easily in comparing the luster of my 1909-O MS65 Half which is very original and the somewhat muted luster of the 1909-S Half.
NGC thought it was an MS65. I sent it in to PCGS to get the variety attributed on the holder and to cross it to a PCGS holder so I could put it in my registry set and they thought it was an MS64. Since I'm not planning on selling it anytime soon, I don't think the "downgrade" will hurt me much.
Goldstone: I think waiting for the coin you really want will serve you well in the long run. When I started this set, I purchased a few lower graded examples as hole fillers when they became available, mostly because I was just impatient. Of course, when I found the coin I really wanted, I either had to sell the lower coin first or I was stuck with two coins. Would have saved myself a lot of trouble and a little money if I just waited for the right coin since the beginning. In my set right now, there are still a few that I bought on impulse and that I'll upgrade someday
And for those of you choosing the $10 Indians, that design is definitely one of my favorites. Especially the edge design with the raised stars, which is unfortunately completely hidden from view in the PCGS holders
Wow Harryj, that's a sweet 1909-S VDB. Looks to be just about full red too!!
