Hey everyone, I found this MS67 NGC 1941s half on eBay, and looking at the photos makes me question the grade: 1) Does the crescent toning negate the chatter everywhere else on the coin? 2) Do breaks/scratches in toning not count against grades? https://ngccoin.com/certlookup/6324619-004/67/
What you're not really getting from these photos is the luster, which must be glossy and booming to get a 67 with this look. I would expect the coin is absolutely stunning in hand.
makes me question the grade: As you should after all it's the opinion of the people looking at it. If you crack it out and re-summit you'll more than likely to get a different opinion
I have no clue how it looks in hand, but the softness on the breast feathers concerns me. SF halves are know for weak strike, so I could see brushing it off, except that the observe is so well struck that I can’t see how the reverse isn’t a sign of wear of some sort. For comparison look at: https://ngccoin.com/certlookup/4198429-006/67
No, not at all. Yes they absolutely do ! The coin is without a doubt grossly over-graded, I'd say by 3 grades. In other words if it was graded correctly is should be a 64.
I don't see much chatter anywhere on that coin. Can you say where you are seeing it? The light tones are just that, tones that aren't as brilliant as the other colors. As for the grade that would all depend on the luster, so I am not sure about the grade.
It is not possible to grade a MS coin from a photo. As to chatter (a fall back simple negative connotation), concerning this piece, a 5X held on the screen and rotation of the reverse, questions the "....the chatter everywhere else..." observation.
I see a long scratch down the eagle’s body. That precludes the MS-67 grade. In that grade, you should have to hunt for the marks. In addition, I don’t care for the toning on the left side of the obverse and reverse as shown. It’s close to black and could keep going. I have been burned on that after keeping a coin for over decades. Beyond that, I see more marks on Ms. Liberty’s body, none of which should be there for the MS-67 grade. The $15,000 price is massively too high. This reminds me of an MS-67 graded Panama - Pacific commemorative half dollar a dealer tried to high pressure me into buying for $17,000. Really dude? Do I look that dumb or senile to you? I would called it an MS-64 with poor eye appeal.
You have to learn to grade from photos because so much is sold on the Internet these days. I will agree with you with respect to high grades like MS-66 or better. Proof coins are also tough to grade from photos. Grading coins in person is the best, but the opportunities simply are not there these days.
Thanks for the comments, Doug. It’s affirming to see that I’m not the only one who was thinking 64 when I saw it.
I find it hard to imagine that some can't see the chatter that was mentioned. (click on the pic to see it full size)