I must be in a tough grading mood today. '04 MS-64RD (The color feels a bit off, I hope it did not get UNC Details QC) '16 MS-64RD
The Indian looks more questionable to me. I was trying to figure out what was wrong with the obverse.... it just feels weird. On the Lincoln, the big spots on the obverse are a good clue that something is weird, especially that spot near the rim under his jacket. Both of them looks sort of brassy, instead of the way a true red copper should look.
The reverse on the 04 is really nice. Great luster with a bold clash. It has that cool look. I'm not sure I agree that the coin was messed with. I thought it just had the look of a coin turning from red to RB.
Isn't PCGS the one that has the "sniffer"? Could it be that they detected something artificial on the coin's surface?
I don't think it is so much that the sniffer is no longer used, but that it has evolved. The "sniffer" was previously part of the "Secure Plus" service, which has been replaced by "Gold Shield." It apparently does more - and does some algorithmic counterfeit detection. It actually seems pretty cool. See more here: https://www.pcgs.com/goldshield
I don't know as a fact. I was told by a friend who was spending a week at PCGS working as an intern that it was no longer in use. Maybe he got it wrong.
The indian looks questionable. The Lincoln looks ok to me. Probably a 63 or 64 RD. The strike isnt good enough on the 1916 to warrant anything higher. Way too many 1916's with amazing strikes. IMO PCGS loves to hand out questionable color on copper coins. I would try sending them to NGC. My avatar coin was in a questionable color slab. It now resides in an NGC MS64 slab.
Well that just plain sucks. The Indian felt a bit off to me, but the Lincoln looked fine. I've heard that they have been really tough lately and it looks like it might be true.