This darned coin came back NGC UNC details Obverse Wheelmark. Where? Apparently I don't know how to recognize them. (Yes, this is the S/S variety).
I think it's whats going on on the lower right field. I bought a coin that was Obv. Wheel Marked... From what i understand it looks like what that area looks like... but i am not expert. This was what i read what i got the coin... https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/4412/Wheel-Marks/
I certainly wouldn't say it's wheel marked, but the 1 in the date looks like it may be the culprit. Super nit-picky to call that wheel marked.
I think it is the marks through the 19 in the date and extending out of the shoulder. And no matter where it is, it is extremely punitive to details grade this coin. If the wanna net grade it fine, but no way this is a problem coin. Crack it out and resubmit!
Check out the 2nd and 3rd paragraph from the end. https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/4412/Wheel-Marks/
There've already been a handful of guesses. All different. I'll look at it again when it gets back, but I was shocked.
Wheel marks are so hard to see sometimes. You can look at it one way and not see anything but give it a quarter turn and boom.
John All aside with this coin being given the wheel mark ....sentence....I'll tell you what's worse....those carbon spots on the reverse! All joking aside the 1936 s /s are known for them.....and what's worse is sometimes they don't surface until in plastic. If home I post one of mine that got the spots about a year after grading. It's a nice coin too! I pass on so many nice buffalos if I see a pin head of a spot..your specimen is loaded on the rev.. the buyer will hate you, and it's not your fault ,but it will get worse.....with time. My suggetion sell it cheap with an explanation of its issues. And move on when I get home I'll email you a image of mine it was spot free when graded....now it looks like a Dalmatian variety.
Does PCGS fault for wheel marks? If not, submit it to them. In my novice opinion, after reading the NGC link, I would think that this would be more of a ‘circulation’ issue, making it AU, opposed to a ‘details’ coin, but that is just my opinion. To me, ‘details’ gives a connotation of wrong doing, not something done by a counting machine...especially something as minute as this.
I'm guessing if you tilt and turn it in a light that's matches what graders use rather than what you'd use for photography, it'll suddenly pop out when you hold it at just the right angle, and be hidden otherwise. Sometimes it actually takes what you'd otherwise call bad lighting to light up a wheel mark or similar patch of hairlines. From the photo, all I can guess is that the brow/forehead took some damage.
