I would like to know how do y'all feel about the grade of AG-3 especially on let's say a good high dollar key date? Lets pretend you had a, oh I don't know...... How about a 1909-S V D B. Let's say although the PUP area's were difficult but you could after close examination could tell it was an 09 and you could make out the top part of the VDB and the hardest part was spotting the S but since you are the savvy coin collector and you knew precisely where to look you do happen to make out the S or a small part of it. After studying it for some time lets say you were 98 % sure of it. What would you do? Would you even waste your time with it? Would you show it to a fellow collector? Would you even care since it will most likely grade AG-3. Hypothetically of cours
Possibly is it was slabbed already and I was doing a lowball collection. At AG3 though, I don't think I'd take a gamble on a raw coin and lose the money if it was counterfeit or I was just plain wrong about it. I'd want to be really certain of an AG3 and it not be a details or fake, but I have that rule with any higher dollar coin.
As a youngster the 09-S, VDB cent and the 16-D Merc dime were legendary to me. I did score a 16-D Merc much as you described many years ago. She resides in my safe deposit box today. And yes, that Merc gives me much pleasure even though she is worn thin simply because I scored her for a song.
All coins are worthy of being collected. Just because some poor coin did its job admirably facilitating commerce does not mean that today its unworthy of being collected and enjoyed by a collector. Especially for ancients, I love circulated coins, knowing they were used by ancient peoples for trade. You can just dream of what sights they were able to "see".
If it was all I could afford, yes I buy it at the right price. If I collected low ball coins, yes I buy it. The grade wouldn't stop me from purchasing it. What would stop me is any problems I see to the coin itself or a coin that is overgraded for its condition.
If I ever own a 1916-D dime, it'll likely be an authenticated FR02 or AG03, and I'll be proud to have it. Your "let's pretend" about the S VDB is... oddly specific, though. I don't think it's easy for a mintmark to wear into illegibility on a Lincoln cent, even at AG03 -- it's far from the rim and in a recessed area. There are weak-VDB 1909-S coins, but I've never heard of a weak-S variety. If you can only make out a bit of the S when you stare really hard, I'd worry that you're seeing a hit or other damage, and your eyes and brain are turning it into what you want to see.
Yep. I have seen tons of "phantom D" 1916 D dimes in folders. Your mind will try to see what you want to see. Most S VDBs were saved. An AG S VDB is probably 1000 times rarer than a MS example.
Well AG is still a grade and the 09 S VDB is so rare and hard to obtain without great cost I think a good solid AG graded coin should still fetch what do y'all think 175. - 200? I guess my point is for a penny there is still value there
Just curious if anyone has seen a AG3 slabbed 1909S VDB? Does it even exist out there? Lowest I've seen was a NGC graded VG8
If I'm paying a huge premium for a date or variety, I need to be able to clearly see the identifying features. If I can only barely make out the tops of the VDB and have to squint to see the S, I'm not interested. Whatever grade it takes to get that, that's my minimum grade.