Interesting grade of this slabbed Merc

That looks like FB to me, but I am not expert. Looks nice, but the first coins is prettier to me.

 

Based on TPG standards I'd say it's accurately graded.

But personally, I would grade it no higher than 65 because of the die crack. To me die cracks are a flaw and should preclude any coin from grading higher than 65.

Not even close. The 1st coin is but not that one.

 

Far from it, look closer.

First of all the die crack- tip of the feather to the rim just to the right of the R. Now look at the center of the locks of hair over the ear, some minor roughness there (tiny contact marks) and more on the back of the cap. Now look at the T, the right end of the crossbar - it's missing. Same thing for the right end of the neckline - directly above the upright of the 4. A couple of tiny contact marks on the neckline as well. The rev has quite a few tiny contact marks and one tiny rim ding that I can see.

Now I'll agree that most people wouldn't see most of these things, even in the pictures. But a good professional grader would see them with the naked eye. At the least he would see enough to make him look closer with a glass and then certainly see them.

All in all it's a nice coin - until you start to pick it apart. Thus I have to go with my original comments.

 

I don't disagree. But what is your point, or question ?

 

Read what I said again Mandy.

 

Well hello stranger ! Must of been the mention of poker that made you come crawling out the woodwork

 

Well yes, the '21 Merc is an expensive coin in 67. The last 3 to sell on Heritage ranged in price from $12,600, $24,100, and $32,200. While the range for the same coin in 66 for the past year has been from about $4,500 to $8,000. And that is why we as collectors need to know our coins. We can't just take the word of the TPG when it comes to grade.

There are basically two kinds of people Mandy.

1 - what I call plastic buyers are those who accept the grade assigned by the TPG and don't question it. And even when they look at a picture of a coin, or sometimes even when they see the coin in hand, and they wonder about the grade, they will question their own judgement and assume the TPG knows more than they do, so the grade must be correct.

2 - what I call discriminating collectors, are those who completely ignore the grade assigned by the TPG and form their own opinion of the coin.

That '21 you linked to for example. Based on your comments you obviously question the grade. I know why I question the grade, but can you explain why you do ?

It might be worth noting that NGC and PCGS combined have only graded a small handful of these coins at 67. From what I can see, less than 10 of them - which explains the price.

 

oooops