Was looking at a 1997 Uncirculated Mint Set last night and found this Kennedy half which I was pretty taken with. Blown up, I see that there are a couple of hits on it. Not that I think the coin would be likely to be worth having professionally graded, but I'd be curious to have grading opinions all the same. Here are my thoughts. Well struck, fields are clean, and it seems to have a nearly "proof like" appearance. There's an unfortunate hit in the hair and another one near the base of the neck. (I think that one of the other items in the picture near the base of the neck is a bit of dust/lint.) There are a bunch of tiny lines near the edge of the coin and I have no clue what to make of those. To my eyes, at least, they're not noticeable except under magnification. So, I'm thinking something like MS-65/66. Is that even close to accurate?
There is also a very strong hit on the eagle's head. But really, why bother grading just another 1997 D Half? It's not worth more than another half dollar.
Thanks all for your input. I appreciate the feedback, as I'm still trying to learn more about grading.
Redbook has some good information on grading coins overall, and for each denomination of coin what to look for for the different grades. There's also Dannreuther's Official Guide to Coin Grading & Counterfiet Dectection which is a great source of helping with grading skills, and spotting counterfiets and fakes.
