GTG-1840 No Drapery Liberty Seated Half Dime

Yes, the full slab photos actually show the coin off to much better advantage because the lens is farther away and the lights can be positioned better. When I move the lens closer to these itty-bitty coins in order to use the full area of the camera's detector, I can't get my lights in close enough because the lens is in the way and tend to lose luster in the photo. Don't have this problem with coins in the half dollar and larger size.

I think what I may do is back off a bit and try for better lighting control.

 

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I would agree AU-63, but I think it is unc, therefore 63.

Robert:

I have a number of Barber coins that I call AU-63.
The reason: They show a touch of wear, but are nicer than any MS 60, 61's or 62's.

It is just a way of saying it shows wear but it is a wow coin.

 

Robert, here's an example of an AU-62. This Liberty Seated dollar is a 58 because it does show touches of wear but it has been market-graded up to a 62 because that is what it is worth due to its quality.

 

The whole slider issue makes no logical sense. It's a financial issue in my opinion. I wouldn't last long working for a grading company because wear is wear is wear no matter how it occurred, in my opinion.
I remarked in a post some time ago that a separate grading category should used for "sliders" which would encompass coins exhibiting wear not from circulation. Mint state should be used coins with no wear and graded on issues such as bag marks, luster, strike quality, etc.

 

That's exactly why there's an AU and Unc. grade in the first place. If any grader crosses the boundaries, then they're cheating or just made a mistake. A so called silder is just that...a fumble or an outright mistake being made in a gray area or simply subjective thinking.

 

Not a mistake, it’s called marked grading and is done intentionally. Today nice and lustrous AU coins grade as high as MS63/64, because that’s what they’re worth on the market.

PS: I believe the reason is gradeflation, the old AU53s now grade AU58, so what else can you do with the old AU58 coins? I’ve seen a few coins recently which graded AU58+ which makes more sense to me.

 

The whole coin industry has become completely dominated by bogus crooks, just as everything else in modern America

 

Personally, I wish they would just grade them accurately and let the market decide what they are worth. ( this has been argued ad nauseum many times here, of course)

 

Never a better word has been spoken!

 

Luster can be hard to judge on a toned coin. Even in hand these coins are tough with toning. I have also found some people put to much weight into luster. Don't get me wrong it's important but, there is a point that when the toning will hide the luster. You need the right type of light to determine the luster. If you don't use the correct light under the right conditions your going to get the wrong impression of the coin. For me I like to take coins out on my deck on a nice sunny day and then look at them. You will see the luster on any coin if you take it out into sunlight. At a coin show if you looking at slabbed coins you can use a small LED flash light. A good LED light will give you enough light to evaluate the coins surface.

 

You really need it in hand to properly grade the coin.

 

good looking coin

 

I would not have guessed that piece was in an MS-65 holder because of the luster.

This one is in an NGC MS-63 holder. It's been dipped at one time or another.

 

What would happen if you dipped that 1940

 

You lost me with this AU 63 stuff

 

Nice. Like the color

 

Would you dip that 1840?

 

I agree with both statements; the first a wish and the second a fact. But we know we might as well wish for unicorns so I subscribe to facing reality and making it work for me when I can.

 

No. I happen to like the coin and there is luster below that toning which has not reached the terminal stage. Besides, I've never dipped a coin and would not trust myself to do so and would not let an expert do so on this coin.

 

If you go back in this US Coins forum to April 30, 2020, that is the last of a 3-page thread I started with a GTG-1859-O Liberty Seated Dollar. If you start with the first post in the thread and read and digest the many wise and experienced comments by people other than me, then at the end you will understand the basics of market grading and what an AU-63 is all about.

But if you can't do that, here is a very brief explanation: A coin is an exceptional example of AU-58, so nice in fact that it should command a price well in excess of all other AU-58 coins. The market price it should command is equivalent to what a typical MS-63 coin should bring. So the AU-58 coin is graded by the TPG at MS-63 in order to reflect what the TPG thinks the coin should bring in the open coin market. The term "AU-63" is a wry, whimsical, ironic, or sarcastic way of reflecting this market grading phenomenon..