Grade Opinion: 1909-S VDB

I would like to get your grade opinion on this raw 1909-S VDB I have in my collection. This coin was a birthday gift from my father several years back (he had one when he was a kid and knew I always wanted one).

 

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VF30

 

Xf40, nice coin btw

 

45-50

 

XF-45

 

I agree w/XF-45; however, it has a shot at AU if sent to NGC for conservation & grading.

 

I tend to agree. I have no interest in having this coin altered.

 

Id say XF-40. My example is VF-30 and yours has a bit more detail in the hair than mine.

 

You must be a very successful coin dealer? And certainty more successful and informed than I so please forgive me for using your post to write about OTHER Dealers less knowledgeable than yourself.

I'm sure you know that many dealers unknowingly sell minimally corroded coins such as this one to ignorant collectors.

I'm sure you know that many dealers know very little about conservation and ruin tons of coins annually. PROPER CONSERVATION virtually ALWAYS improves a coin and IS NOT DETECTABLE by 98% of dealers/collectors!

PROPER CONSERVATION will remove most of the crud and most of the black corrosion spot on the rim of this piece, leaving the coin with NO PERSONALITY yet the winner of a beauty contest!

Hopefully, the owner of the coin will have it conserved.

I'll take eye appeal, higher value, no further deterioration, and a possible up grade over a dirty copper coin with "loads of personality."

 

That's a BEAUTIFUL S-VDB. It requires NO conservation IMO, it should be left alone. The most I would do is use some canned air on it to remove the dust.

Looks like some severe under-grading here to me. I believe that's at minimum an AU coin with a shot at 62/63.

I would have it slabbed, even if you're not planning on selling it or anything. When the time comes to sell it or pass it on, it's just nice to have it in a slab since it's a $1000+ coin.

 

I've never seen green "dust" with discoloration under it but you are the chemist. As you must know (!) the ancient guys call the stuff "verdigris" and it does not come off with air; however, some of the other debris on it will.

Agree w/shot at 50-53 but NO WAY close to Uncirculated. The dark brown color on the high spots of the obverse is the "wear."

Thought this coin was a "no brainer"...have it slabbed AFTER IT IS CONSERVED!

 

Are these dark spots wear?

 

Dah, that depends on the person examining the coin, their expertise, knowledge, number of Lincolns they have graded, eyesight, magnification, whether they own the coin or are selling it, whether they are a dealer, collector, or professional TPGS grader, and finally whether they are a conservative long-time "technical" grader or a "commercial" grader! Easy right?

Since I am a old dinosaur technical grader, your photo is a perfect example of the AU-58 Red/Brown grade. Makes an excellent teaching coin so CLASS IS IN SESSION :

Besides the FRICTION WEAR on the high points where its ORIGINAL SURFACE is TOTALLY GONE, there are some distracting stains on the obverse (most important side of the coin). Nevertheless, the stains are unimportant on an AU. Coins like this were graded AU-58 decades ago.

As Bowers wrote in his grading guide, coins that were formally graded AU are now commonly graded in the low Uncirculated range.

Therefore, new collectors, dealers, TPGS's would assign a Mint State grade to this coin and refer to the LOSS OF ORIGINAL SURFACE LUSTER ON THE HIGH POINTS as "cabinet friction" or "stacking rub."
If I worked for a TPGS I should grade the coin MS-63 at the least! If I were selling the coin, I should grade it MS-65 , sell it to a sucker, and sleep like a baby when I returned from the bank!

PS the OP's coin has more "cabinet friction" than your example. Therefore his coin IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO UNC.

Any more questions?

 

Uh oh. Insider's on one of his 5hr Energy binges

 

xf40

 

There you go again. It's a 12 hour binge.

More importantly, and a MUCH MORE USEFUL post from you...what are your thoughts on the comments on this thread and the coins in question?

 

Camaro, I would grade the coin at a VF-35. I don't think that there's enough luster for XF. That said, luster is hard to see in photos.

 

When I first looked at it 35 but could 40

 

That is a 45 with a long shot at 50. No way there is enough wear for a VF and no way there is no wear for an MS anything. BTW, the best I can tell, it is die pair #2.

Were it mine, I would do something with that spot above the date on the rim before it decides to grow. I would leave the rest of the coin alone