The coin has uncirculated details, but I don't see any luster on it at all. If the luster was present, it would probably grade MS63, but without it, AU58. I'm curious to know why the obverse is so dark on the bottom half but the reverse is well lit. Chris
It is not dark on the bottom, I had it on a towel at an angle so the shine is towards the top. The bottom is just like the top as far as shine is concerned.
actually, the picture doesn't do it justice, the coin is very bright and shiny all over on both sides and is not monotone at all as it looks in the picture. I tried to use natural light but it's hard to get an accurate pic.
I disagree. If the coin is uncirculated it deserved an MS grade, not an AU grade. You simply do not knock an uncirculated coin down to AU just because it has no luster or too many bag marks. With little to no luster (and no evidence of circulation) the coin should grade MS-60 to MS-62. A coin graded AU-58 should have very slight wear and GREAT luster. From the ANA Grading Standards for US Coins (6th Edition): Don't be fooled by the numerical grades of high AU and low MS coins. Just because 58 is a lower number than 60 and 61 does not mean the AU-58 coin will have less eye appeal than the MS-60 or MS-61 coin. On the contrary, usually a coin graded AU-58 will have much greater eye appeal, more luster, less bag marks, etc. than a coin graded MS-60 or MS-61. Remember, AU-58 is the HIGHEST grade for a circulated coin and MS-60 and MS-61 are the LOWEST grades for uncirculated coins.
Okay, so I now have 10 pics of the front and 5 of the back with different lighting from differnet angles so you can really see the whole coin, what grade do you think this UNC coin is?
I should have been more specific. What I meant was how could the lighting be decent for one side when you took the photo but no so decent for the photo of the other side? Taking photos at an angle only serve to make it hard for the viewer to interpret the condition. Chris
You're right, and I wasn't thinking. There is some wear in her hair which is unusual for a San Fran coin, and I still don't see any luster. So, I'm changing my opinion...........improperly cleaned. Bigfoot, "shine" isn't the same as luster. If you hold the coin under the light between your thumb and forefinger and tilt it back and forth in various directions, you should see a cartwheel effect of the luster rotating around the coin. Chris
