Hey everyone. I bought this at a local online auction site based on the written description and a blurry photo, and I'm pretty happy with it. For the $10.58 that won it, it was worth the gamble. I like that it shows mechanical doubling on the IGWT and date. I feel it adds character to an already neat coin. Just wanted to share and maybe get a consensus on the grade. It's tough to grade it as it's a little thinner, resulting in a weaker obverse strike. For those that are interested in knowing I'll weigh it tomorrow and post the weight. So, yeah. What do YOU grade it?
ok.... what makes you say that? It looks very similar to this one: http://coins.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=131149&lotNo=21004#Photo
no amount of wear should reduce the weight this much. Even dryer coins I've weighed were closer to specs. than this one. Let's see if I can show a closeup of comparison: http://coins.ha.com/common/view_ima...7232861%5D&call=url%5Bfile%3Aproduct.chain%5D Yep. the rim on mine (from about 5 oclock to 11 oclock) made me worry a little, but this one is nearly identical. Mine also has the same appearance of die polish marks on the fields surrounding 'Liberty'... if simply 'worn' would they not have 'worn away' by now? Redbook says normal weight is 2.27grams. There is nearly a full half gram difference here (0.42g), and I've got much more 'worn' coinage exhibiting much less spread between actual weight and what it's supposed to weigh.
Here are a couple of excellent articles on the subject: http://www.coinworld.com/articles/missing-clad-layer-does-not-always-imply-miss/ http://www.bakercoins.net/learn/articles/unclad/unclad.html
The coin looks to me as though it is struck on a defective planchet. The planchet was thin & only had the silver cladding on one side. Yep I think it is a missing clad layer before strike. Just my opinion.
This is what I thought too after reading Mike Diamond's article (link above). The other article entails counterfeit/alteration detection, and I think they compliment each other well.
BTW, the planchet was thin & metal flows outward towards the edge & reeding during the strike. That is why the details are strong at the center & become weak at the edges (one edge in particular). The coin's reeding appears very well struck-up considering the planchet is thin. I hope that some others look at your coin & chime-in on this thread.
me too... as I said in my OP, I hope someone can venture a guess at a grade also. Personally I feel it is in the realm of 40-45, but with the thinner planchet and subsequent weak strike it is difficult to grade.
Sorry. But your initial photograph does not look like a missing clad layer. The subsequent photo's appear to have the wrong color balance creating what appears to be a copper coloring. However, given the amount of wear your coin has, I would have expected that copper core to be much darker in color. Not orange. Photograph a cent, even with the flash on, and it still will not come out looking like the first photo. Perhaps you should send it in for professional evaluation?
sorry about the color issue... Does this help? Be assured that it really is copper in color, and seems to match. Have a look My sources of lighting are not the best, but I do what I can with what I have. It is markedly thinner than other dimes, and tapered just as described in Mike's article. What you have interpreted as wear, I interpret as a weak strike due to the thin planchet. Again. I am asking for a grade, which is hard to evaluate on a weakly struck coin, because the difference in values between grades would make or break the viability of cost of submission. So even if it pains you to do so, please give your honest opinion of the grade whether you think it's authentic or not. I still have yet to understand, if it is simply worn as has been implied, how in the world it lost a hair over 20% of its mass and retained devices and visible polish marks. (1.85g vs. normal 2.27g) I understand your other concern appears to be that it may in fact a very tarnished obv (correct if I'm wrong). Maybe in these new pics you can see some small nicks and a scratch or two. And the colors are pretty close.
I was skeptical from the first pictures but the weight is right for a missing clad layer. I think it is real.
