So I have been looking at graded nickels on ebay.... not to buy but to get a feel for what the different grades look like.... Then I run across this one... http://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-PCGS-MS-65-Gem-Rainbow-Target-Toned-Jefferson-Nickel-N-R-/320927741820?pt=Coins_US_Individual&hash=item4ab8c8b77c How does this coin grade ms 65? Does the toning affect it? Just looks to have quiet a few scratches. I am new at this so maybe I am competely missing something.... or maybe my research has paid off and I learned something.... like its mis graded... By the way I am not the seller nor am i bidding....
Eek. That is not a pretty nickel. Anyway, this particular nickel just has a very weak strike. The TPG's take that into account. When it comes to Jefferson nickels, the quality of the dies is drastically different throughout the the years. So, to really try and get good at grading nickels, you first have to know what the average die condition was like for the particular year. That being said, weak strike or not, this nickel sure seems to have a lot of hits on it to be in an MS holder.
Much of what you are seeing on that coin are remnant planchet flaws that were not eliminated by the striking process. Different people have varying opinions about whether planchet flaws should affect the grade of a coin but the TPG's view them as "as struck" and do not penalize a coin with planchet flaws. Discerning the difference between planchet flaws and contact marks is not easy but a skill that most professional graders have mastered. In addition, the 1955 is considered the worst Jefferson in terms of mint quality. It does not surprise me that this is a 1955. Look at the high points of the obverse. The cheekbone, jaw, and coat collar are where the majority of the planchet flaws are concentrated. Hair detail is non existent as are the details of Monticello and even the lettering is incomplete. This is a horribly struck Jefferson showing a multitude of planchet flaws and without having seen the coin in hand I would tend to agree with the assigned grade of MS65. After all, my 1955 Jefferson is not much better.
I dissent. That pattern and color scheme screams Dansco target toning to me. Having said that, the photo appears to be artificially saturated. I like him as a seller and he gets great prices for his consignors, but his photography really needs improvement. He has sold so many coins, there is really no excuse for his photography to have not improved over the years.
I agree. His "direct light" photos are terrible. Those familiar with toning know that is not how the coin will look in hand most of the time.
Since this coin is la weak strike, and I agree, I think the planchet flaws ( scratches on the blank ) remained after the strike. However, I have to disagree with the PCGS grade on this one or I am learning something new about 1955 nickels. I have seen a lot better and have a few myself. Maybe I should send some in to PCGS? Blanks for business strike coins are not smooth and without flaws. Sometimes they remain and are often mistaken for wear or contact marks after the coin is struck. ( especially by me )
One could make an argument based on strike alone that this coin does not deserve a gem grade. To me, the slab photos are a much better representation of the coin than the oversized images. The surfaces look better in the slab photo but the strike looks even worse. I say MS64 with a bump for the color. Either way, this coin does not have the qualities that I would look for to include in my collection.
I don't think it's been mentioned yet that the coin looks to have been photographed in sunlight, which is what I'm assuming the seller means by "direct light." Sunlight is going to accentuate every last flaw and, paraphrasing Scott Travers' book The Coin Collector's Survival Manual, makes an MS-65 coin appear to be an AU-55 with scratches.
Thanks guys I appreciate the info. Gotta put that in the old memory bank about the 55 strikes. Was that at all mints? Also Thanks for the pictures to compare too.
Even with the weak strike the OP referenced coin is over graded by about two grades IMO. When the strike is that weak it's not gem quality even if as struck.
