Hi again everyone. I have a Canadian Large Cent (1917). I am wondering about the grading of it. I was hoping something BU. If you can't tell from the pictures - this coin has a huge amount of luster left. Has some black spots in a couple areas but hopefully that isn't too bad. I was mainly worried about a little bit of the crown area (band) being worn out too. If you want to see more pics of a certain spot or lighting - let me know! So what are your thoughts ?
This is a BU. And not even a great one, but a BU nonetheless. Compare the fine details of your coin to this one. Look at the crown, look at the moustache, look at the high points of this coin compare to yours. It might be lustrous, but it is detail and wear that are the main factors in play here.
Oh too bad... But thanks for the good explanation. I didn't think it'd be a high BU but I was hoping that it might have been able to slide in there somewhere haha.
When I started collecting like 25 years ago I tended to look at the big picture and if it was shiny and looked good that meant it was a BU. But, in coin collecting you have to take the time to look a second time...look at the fine details, see if there is wear.. see if there is anything that seems different about the coin. It is great that you are interested in Canadian large cents...in my opinion they are some of the most beautiful coins ever minted. Just take an extra couple seconds to look at the details. With some practice you'll get it in no time.
Just as another example, here is a 1919 Large Cent I have in my collection. It is graded MS65BN by PCGS. As petro pointed out, the details on yours are not quite all there. I'd grade the example you posted as XF details (cleaned). The surfaces look too "shiny" to be original.
Great ! Thank. Those are some good tips I'll definitely keep in mind. I think that since my coin collection is so slight so far - I am really reaching for grades that are higher than I actually have (n)
Always be conservative...that way you don't make a costly mistake. And definitely take the time to research and practice grading if there is a certain coin type you like. And feel free to ask any questions you may have on this forum. There are a great number of helpful members here that you can learn from.
And don't feel bad... you have a real nice coin there with honest wear, and it deserves a spot in any collection!
Even many experienced collectors will mistakenly over-grade their own coin stock. It's a psychological habit that can be tough to break -- sometimes it's hard to be honest with yourself about your own coins.
Yeah its definitely understandable..even with anything - people frequently think that the things they own are more valuable than they actually are
