1909 IHC - Help with grade

I have this 1909 Indian Head Cent . Please help with grade . I've go it at EF40 or EF45 or , maybe something else ?

 

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An EF-40 should exhibit most of the diamonds in the lower band, weak in spots but there. AN EF45 they would all be complete. So it's tough to say judging from a photo alone. But based on the other elements I'd say you're close.

 

The diamonds are not always helpful. Worn dies may not show that detail very well or at all. I start with the word LIBERTY and the feather details first. LIBERTY should be bold on an XF as a normal. Tough to really tell from the image. I'll guess 35 or 40.

 

EF, cleaned.

 

VF, cleaned

 

VF and looks cleaned

 

I wasn't as concerned by the color as you were, as these vary so greatly. But I rarely try to place a grade on the IHCs I buy or own. Only one of mine has been NGC certified, awarded MS-64 RD, which probably would mean that at least some others of mine might make it into higher MS status. The 1909 is a trifle easier to find in collectible condition, IMO; I've been searching for an 1869 for more than two years now at a price I would be willing to pay. I should have taken @C-B-D up on the one he had a while ago.

 

Sorry, I adjusted the lighting and this is the color it came out .

 

The 1864 bronze die state has to be taken into account and your pictures don't tell that story. The 1864 dies were used, polished, and used some more. When one of a die pair failed it was replaced with what they had on hand, often in very different states. This is one one where they got a lot of mileage out of the obv. die with a second or ? pairing. The details of the rev. die are fairly crisp in comparison to the well polished obv. die. This coin I'll post here is probably close to if not AU. but if you only look at the obv. it barely makes VF. Taken separately they tell a different story than the sum

 

Not good enough for AU. XF at best, IMO because there is wear in the obv.

 

You are allowed slight wear on the high points. I look to the shield and the bow on the rev. and there is the slightest wear on the shield lines and bow. The obv. features are very weak from all the die polishing so when wear shows it appears to be worse than it is because we want to compare it to a normal coin. When you look at a 3 legged or 2 feather nickel or a 1922 no D LWC the AU examples are always less detailed than coins struck from fresh dies.

This is a 1922 no d I put in my first Whitman when I was a kid. It came out of a jug my Dad put all of his wheat cents in. I don't know if it was really known as a variety then. I picked the least worn coins from that jug so I'm lucky this was the only 1922 there. The obverse grades About Good normally but the reverse is Very Fine. When you grade a coin like this you have to rely heavily on the reverse features.

 

You would assign this coin a grade of...?

 

Speculation on the actual coloring. What grade now?

 

I have a friend who has one of these graded by a TPG that is a Fine 15 and this is a fair amount better. I have always thought it would go VF20

 

I wish the obv. pic was a little more clear at the bust so going by the rev. I would say a 40

 

I'm thinking VF25/rev, G06 at best/obv = VF20, IMO.

 

EF has to have the ribbon with the diamonds as distinct from the hair curl. If it is flat then not EF.

 

Or strikes that aren't full.