I recently acquired two new coins. I was wondering what people thought about the grades. This 1874C 10 pfennig looks uncirculated to me and was purchased as such. This is a scan and so does not show that is has all its original luster. NGC and PCGS only have 3 MS between them. This 1751 Wurzburg 1/2 pfennig is hard for me to judge as I am not familiar with the coin. It looks to have some wear, especially on the obverse, but that may be how it was minted. Pictures on NGC and Numista don't help as they are inferior to this one. What are people's opinions?
I don't know how you would grade them in the U.S but in Germany the 10 Pfennig coin would be graded as vz/stgl. This can mean anything from MS60 to MS67, which your coin is. This type is graded by the wear/detail on the cross-hatch design on the eagle. I see no wear at all on your coin. Is a nice one. The two Pfennig coin 1751 is probably as struck, and would also be called vz/stgl. MS60 at least.
Thanks @Eduard. I was thinking at least MS for the 1874C. NGC only has two, an MS62 and an MS64. PCGS only one: MS63. It would be nice if it were in this range. The 1751 I am surprised at your suggestion of mint state. I was thinking XF at best. But that's why I asked. I figured there would be someone with some experience in the area. The catalog has no value for anything above XF, which it lists at $60. Perhaps I will put these aside and one day, when I have enough coins to justify a submission I will consider getting them graded.
I'm not sure on it being mint state either. I think @Eduard like me, has spent too much time browsing eBay.de where just about every coin is liste at vz/stgl. I'm certain he knows much more about the coins than I do, but I see what looks like marks of environmental damage on the earlier 1751. I'd assume details grade on it, not being familiar with the coin.
The 10-pfennig certainly looks like an MS candidate to me, and I'd venture a guess of MS64, though I'd ideally have wanted to see somewhat larger pictures so I could zoom in on the crown and eagle's brow and shield details. I'd say it's got a pretty decent chance of MS at an American TPG, though. It looks as though there might also be some subtle "cartwheel" luster we're not able to see in the photos, maybe. The Wurzburg is quite tough for me to assess, since it's so difficult to determine how much flatness is due to the strike and how much, if any to circulation. I do think it has some light circulation, but wouldn't want to have to put any definitive grade on it. Wild stab in the dark? I'll say XF- to AU details. The color is indicative of some cleaning, as I see it. I do not foresee an American TPG straight-grading this coin without mentioning some kind of cleaning or surface issues, though they might give it a decent "details" grade. (Or not. Who knows? Certainly not me.)
Really hard to say if there's that faint whisper of rub there to make this a "super slider" AU58. I doubt it. I stick with my earlier MS64 assessment. The new photo brings out the die break above the eagle nicely, which I didn't notice in the other.
Hard to say to what extent the scanner is causing that appearance. It looks nicer in hand. I had to increase the brightness a little to show some of the details. That could be the reason you say cleaned. But there is certainly a little damage when I zoom in on the large photos, which I had not noticed earlier. Here are larger pictures, which I had added as thumbnails so that they don't take forever to download the thread.
Those larger pics of the copper coin confirm what I thought I might be seeing in the first set - the coin has suffered some major corrosion. Mt first thought was it must have been a ground find. But I changed my mind on closer inspection and now think it was just toning and moisture that did the damage. In any even I think the coin was pristine when it was put away and maybe forgotten. Over time, this is what happened. That it has been cleaned, probably with chemicals, is beyond doubt in my opinion, but I do think they did pretty good job of it. The somewhat glossy look that it has in places, I think that is also due to chemicals, maybe even Coin Care or Blue Ribbon.
I'm not familiar with this type of coin. Was it actually struck, or was it cast? Because if it was cast, that surface roughness would not be unexpected. I agree that it has been treated, of course. As for the 10 pfennig, I've got no problem calling that 65.
I’d guess with 64 or 65 on the 1st coin. The reverse, with your luster description would probably merit a 67 or even a 68, but the obverse has a rim nick, a few luster breaks and a few hits that would drag it down... if “super lustrous” then 65 definitely. Au Details for the 2nd. As posts above mention - it has a very pitted surface.
