So heres my 4 best 1932-1939 washingtons Would love some help grading 1934 Heavy Motto 1932 1934 Medium Motto 1939
Toughest coin there is to grade IMO. Going by your pics I'd say the following - '34 - XF40 '32 - XF details '34 - XF45 '39 - VF30
Yeah those early years especially the 34 are notorious for weak strikes. You cant quite see it in the pics but these all have strong cartwheels. The 34 medium especially when you see it in hand has no detectable wear and few bag marks. Kinda a illusion because we assume it is worn down a lot since the hair is so undefined along with the feathers.
I agree with the earlier grades from the great one. But I think he was a bit tough on the 39, I call it an XF-45. Am I too new to disagree with him? I'm trembling in my boots a bit.
Don't be afraid of Doug. He likes to use the real ANA Grading standards. Your opinion is yours. But I do agree Doug's assigned grading, but the last one would get a 35 in my book.
the 39 is certainly the lowest grade out of the 4. However the 34 medium motto I grade much higher then GDJ. Sure its a fairly weak strike but what 1934 medium isnt a weak strike? It has 0 rub down or wear. I have been grading it more in the realm of au55 or 58. Maybe its better in hand or maybe I am grading it too generously, but it sure cartwheels pretty either way .
Well the 39 and the 34 heavy are the only coins with wear and the 34 heavy's wear is very very minimal. the 39s wear is not bad but it has the most out of the four coins. Personally I am a bit taken back they are grading them so low. 2 of the four coins don't even have wear and all four are full heavy luster with big cartwheels. My grading on these was: 1934 heavy AU 50 1932 AU55 maybe AU58 1934 medium Au 58 or MS 60 even higher MS didnt seem impossible. 1939 xf45 /shrug
Don't be taken. Doug is very conservative with grading. People nowadays are very liberal with theirs. Just look at the TPGs older slabs. The coins in the OGHs are usually going to upgrade when resubmitted.
I don't mean taken like being offended. I am just surprised is all. The way I have learned to grade using the sheldon scale would be a coin in MS60-MS70 is free from wear (aka rubdown on the highpoints) if it has minimal wear it would fall somewhere into the AU catagory without getting too into specifics on exact grades. I have used sites like http://coins.about.com/od/coingrading/f/sheldon_scale.htm for my general idealism in grading, then there are many coin specific sheldon grading places which point out what to look for on each specific grade.