Is that because of the funky rim? That's my quick and dirty PS edit. The rim ding at 2:30 is there, but the rest of the rim is 'normal'.
Not the rim ding, but everything else. Half the coin is basically missing with significant detail in other parts.
I think if it graded, it would be FR-02+ possibly AG-03. **Photoshop tool tip: Use the Circular Marquee Tool and hold down the "Shift" Key while dragging out the selection (This creates a perfect circle). While still keeping the mouse clicked down, you can hold down the "Space Bar" to move and get the positioning of the selection into the proper place. In the feather option in the tool bar at the top, give it a 1 to 2 px feather (depending on resolution) to give your selection a much more natural look. Do the feather option before drawing your selection though. Then hit "CNTRL + C" to copy and then "CNTRL + V" to paste the coin to a new background. You'll find that doing this, is far quicker than trying to paint a different background around the coin.
I agree; somewhere on the high end of FR02 or low end of AG03. Down in these lower grades, the rim ding might not hold it back, since a certain amount of dings like that can be considered to "go with the territory" when you're down at the very bottom of the grading scale. I do think it looks much better in the seller's original pictures against the dark background. The choppy PS edit did make it look chewier around the rims, and I just like the dark background better anyway. I believe this (for example, the stars missing from the left side of the obverse while they're present on the right) is likely due to an uneven strike. It did sort of look like a contemporary counterfeit to me at first, but only in the initial glance.
It will grade. But at Fr 02 not Po 01 though. Not slick enough yet. Better carry it for a year or two more!
Is it flat? The wear pattern hints that it could have been slightly bent at one time. No way it gets a PO1, anyway. There's just too much detail left.
