I will post the answer tomorrow night. Just purchased this for around FMV, I would like everyone’s opinions on what they think it graded. ETA: These are my in-hand pics.
Idk why everybody hates ICG. I like them a lot. They don’t overgrade any more than the other TPG’s. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. Some of the nicest examples of 1916-D I have owned and seen were in ICG slabs. The nicest AG3 I’ve ever seen was in.... you guessed it. An ICG slab. Yes, I’ve seen some “dogs” in their holders, but that’s the case with all the TPG’s. Let’s not forget, two of the top graders at ICG formerly worked for ANACS and I believe NGC. So they aren’t chumps......
Sorry to be a parrot but I also thought VG-10. My thought process was this. It's better than G. IDK what they graded it, but there's nothing about it that is F-12. It's in the VG range, it's a key date and it's ICG. So VG-10.
I don't really know what ICG graded it, but I know that I would grade it VG-8. I don't think there is enough feather detail in the cap for a 10, and I'm not really seeing any of the vertical bands (which I should be able to see at least some for a 10). I think this is a solid 8. However, given that it is a key date, it may have slipped into a 10 holder - even if that is the wrong approach to grading key date coins.
I think you're confusing ICG with a basement or self-slabber with a similar name. I've found ICG to be as accurate as any other top tier TPG at least with the dozen or so slabbed coins I own and I actually prefer their plastic over all others.
Plastic perception has such a hold on this hobby that it forces so-called "lesser" TPGs into niches and/or often taking a somewhat more liberal approach out of necessity.
Shhhh!!! Let the haters hate ICG! It just means more ICG coins for you and me and all the other that love them! But in all seriousness, I couldn’t agree more.