I tried posting this in the US coins forum and essentially got two responses, both of which amounted to "Don't bother submitting any Washington Quarters for grading." Anyway, I'm hoping for grade opinions. From the best I can tell, both quarters are FS-503. I plan to submit one (or both) of these if it seems worthwhile to everyone else. If you could post grade opinions, that'd be great. Also, if anyone happens to know the total PCGS population on the FS-503 & FS-501, which is higher, and by what ratio? Thanks.
"I tried posting this in the US coins forum and essentially got two responses, both of which amounted to "Don't bother submitting any Washington Quarters for grading." I responded to your other thread and in absolutely no way did I suggest that Washington quarters were not worth submitting. Your coins appear to be mostly AU and an AU 1941-S Washington quarter does not justify the expense of grading. The fact that they may be large S coins, which I cannot tell since there are no reverse images, may or may not change their value. I do not know if the large S is considered something worthy of a premium. The two coins pictured in this thread show a low MS Washington on the left and a clearly circulated Washington on the right.
Had you posted this in the original thread, it would have been far more useful information. I was actually thinking the coin on the right was a higher grade than that on the left. This response leads me to wonder if I'm looking at the wrong aspects of the coins.
Your first thread could have been written a little more clearly so as to get the opinions you were after in a quicker manner. Of course, what reads clearly to one person does not always read clearly to someone else and this can cause lots of confusion on forums. In my opinion, the coin on the right appears to have high point wear on the hair curls directly in front and behind the ear. This is a high point on the obverse and a good place to look for wear. Of course, I have not seen the coins in-hand and I might be interpreting the images incorrectly, but given the single shots I would go with AU for the coin on the right and MS for the coin on the left. My concern for the coin on the left is that the chatter from IGWT to the date on the obverse near the rim might be typical scruffiness found on these coins or might be what is termed counting wheel damage. If the grading service determined it to be counting wheel damage then the coin would be placed in a problem holder.
I too see the counting wheel marks riding through the date. By the time you factor in grading fees, you will want at the least a MS65 unless it's a 1930's Washington. Anything less in grade will result in a wash or loss of money. I don't know what your grading motive is, but if it's to flip for a nice profit, it's not in the cards for any 1940 and up Washington unless you know for a fact that it's near flawless. Let us know if the FS varieties you mentioned adds any premium, and importantly, see if a TPG will tag your slab with the variety number.
I have no idea on the premiums associated with the variety, but PCGS does acknowledge it. As for motive, it was mostly because I misunderstood the population report for the variety. Also, I see what you mean about the counting wheel, Tom. That's unfortunate, but I think you're right. As for the other coin, I figured it might be a weak strike, but I can see that being wear, as well.
Sorry, reviving old thread for my personal curiosity. Is the discussion here about counting wheel damage or coin rolling damage?
