Never trust those books. Use pcgscoinfacts.com because they give you auction price realizations, and you can average them and get an average sale price for that coin. Also, values always fluctuate and change over one year, so don't expect to find AU 1916 pennies for about $13 each all year long. But anyway, I think the coin is MS63 RB, which is kind of worth sending in for the professionals.
AU-58? Can't really see the luster on this coin. Telling AU from MS relies on the luster, and how it behaves on the high points - which is incredibly difficult from a single picture.
AU58. The overall toning especially in the fields appears to be the result of handling/ brief circulation to me.
Tpg been tough on this date I got a real pretty one sent it in it got a 62 brown. Two dealer friends offered me 65 money in a 62 slab. Seeing yours now in the slab it does look alot better than you orginial post. Nice coin
I thought so also at first...it the magincation that throws your eye off... the slab coin looks more natural to my eye.
Before they had plastic, most coins were kept in paper envelopes, They were mildly abrasive, this is commonly called "album rub" Thanks for the update @BigTee44 Nice coin, I think the grade is fair.
Not really. That is mostly a bit of sulfur from the paper coin envelope that toned highest portions of the design.