Post your Kennedy Halves!!

PCGS calls them "SP" as in "special proof." They don't meet the criteria for proof, but the SMS coins are designated that way by PCGS.

 

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Beats me.......

 

Well, here's the deal.
I had this marked in my software as a business strike, not a SMS.
So if it is a business strike, a 66 would be one heck of a grade, and worth 10x's that of it's sms counterpart.

After doing some research on how to tell the difference between a SMS and a BS, it really made me even more confused.

From what I could gather, even the TPGS cannot tell the difference. They will generally always label it as an SMS.
I really find it hard to believe that there aren't some die markers or other indicators to determine this.
Collectors always say the same thing..."You can just look at the coin and tell if it's an SMS".
I obviously completely disagree on that since it is not apparent to me. Now the ones I have marked as SMS, which were pulled directly from the SMS sets, are very obvious they are indeed SMS.
But trying to tell the difference between a high grade business strike, and an SMS is beyond my scope. I still think the one I posted is a busniess strike. This being because of very small marks here and there on the coin, that otherwise wouldn't be t here if it were a SMS.

That would frustrate me to no end if I send in a business strike and it came back labeled a SMS.
Am I making sense? I doubt it.

What do ya'll think? Any thoughts or information regarding this?

Here are the comparisons from what I have:

SMS for sure:


Business strike for sure: Notice the markings on the tail feathers? They also are seen on the one following this. Which I believe are die chips.


Coin in question (which I marked as business strike)


-greg

 

Look at my above post. I believe those to be die chips, and not dings or anything else.

 

I'm not looking at the coin in hand just going from your photo. The four small circles below the tail feathers on the right side just looks like reading hits from another coin. also on the obverse below the area of the sideburns look like a few hits.

Don't take me wrong, it is a nice looking coin for the date, I just think you would be lucking to get a MS66 grade at PCGS or NGC.

 

You are not the only one who is confused on this issue. I think that one can tell the difference by naked eye inspection, by looking at the sharpness of the details of the devices. Look at JFK's hair and look for extra sharpness, and look at the tail feathers and arrows in the talons for extreme detail. Also, I have always noticed that the SMS coins look "proofy" to the eye--they have that sharpness and general contrast that marks a proof when one picks up a coin. That is why I tend to like the SMS coins in slabs, as I will take their word for it.

 

I got a good laugh out of this. Yes I think you are correct, I have been of the opinion lately that both PCGS and NGC both default to SMS on coins from 1965 - 1967 if it is a nice looking coin (sort of hedging their bets).

Last month I sent a 1967 DDO-001 into PCGS just to get it graded and it came back in a SMS holder (LOL). The 1967 DDO-001 is a business strike variety just listed in the new Cherrypickers' Guide as the FS-103.

Also, I know of another member here who bought a graded 1966 PCGS SMS66 Kennedy which just happened to be the DDO-034, another business strike coin and he is hoarding it (LOL).

 

My 1967 SMS:



Whatever their origin (from the Mint Set, or just great business strikes), I still love them.

 

Fair enough.
Sounds like you do think it would get an MS not an SMS grade? The whole thing is just really strange.

I've read about people who literally took them from original rolls and submitted them, and they came back as SMS. How frustrating would that be?

 

Agreed.

 

yes! A perfect example. Someone at the TPG's need to get a better grip on this.

If I ever sent it in, maybe I could use some inception and mark the flip as '1966 P'.

I suspect the values are so high for a high grade 1966 business strike, not because there aren't a lot available, but because it's so hard to get one in a slab with the proper label!

 

My favorite proof

 

One of the latest additions to the set.

 

Did you finally get around to imaging the few you have?:devil:

 

I've tried, but they look like crap. Waiting for a micro lense next.

 

I think it has that specially prepared planchet look--remember that they're not true proofs, but MS coins that look "proof like." Yours has the frost and contrast of the devices and the fields. I'd say that they are definitely SMS.

 

I thought the special care was to the dies for these not polishing the planchet. Polished regular dies is what I remember hearing for years.

 

Thanks for reminding how forgetful us old guys are. Now I remember seeing that before.