Coin Grading & Strike Quality

Why is it that 3rd party graders do not take the strike quality into consideration when grading coins? I mainly collect Barber and Standing Liberty quarters and I see a lot graded even by PCGS and NGC in the range of MS63 with poor strikes and MS61 with sharp strikes providing better detail. Granted you may have a bag mark or two on a MS61 vs MS63, but I will anyday opt for the MS61 with a slight mark and full shield and partial head on Standing Liberty quarters before buying flat strikes without as much detail on the MS63. Barber quarters seem to be stuck better than Standing Liberty quarters, but still there are so many graded MS 63 with poor detail in the hair opposed to MS61 with sharper details.

People seem to always pay more for the coins graded MS63/64 than lower grades with better strikes...... blows my mind.

 

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Aber:
I couldn't agree more.
Especially on Barber coins, the strike should be noted, full strong strikes are very scarce.

 

This will probably change as the years go by. Modern coins tend to
have multiple strike deficincies and poor specimens can look simply
awful.

 

When they do that, they are buying the slab, not the coin.

 

Hmmm.....people buying the slab and not the coin. I have never heard of that happening before.

 

True,

People are buying the slab rather than the coin when they opt for weak strikes in higher grades rather than better detailed strikes in lower grades. I bought an incredible 1892 MS62 Barber with needlepoint striking, original surfaces, and a hint of color for $175 at a local coin show. The asking price was $200 and I would have paid that too. Heritage has an identical 1916 MS62 for $220.

 

Unusual find

Speaking of grading, I was looking at some coins I had picked up years ago, cant remember where, that seem to be unusual.

It is a five coin set encapsulated in those Whitman 'proof' holders.

But instead of being all the same year, these are different years.

There is a 1942 Walking Liberty, a 1932 Quarter, a 1940 dime, a 1943 nickle (that seems to be the 43/42 type), and a 1943s penny.

Anyway, they all look spanking new, probably proof or uncirculated.

There isn't a smudge or a scratch on any of them, although the quarter does not seem to be as mirror like as the others.

I am trying to figure out how to post a picture.

I dont want to take it up to the local coin dealer, cause I find it hard to trust their honest judgement, if you know what I mean.

Does anybody know if Whitman made sets like these normally, or is this unusual.

 

May be uncirculated or even polished. If it were proof you would have paid a lot for them. Sometimes people create "type" coin sets, polish them and sell at flea markets to people that pass by. If polished or cleaned the value decreases.

 

i may be wrong, but my understanding is that unless it is a designated series (fbl, steps on nickels, fh,fsb, ect) this is not figured into the grade. i believe the coin is graded simply on marks, luster, ect.. strike is not a consideration. after grade is established then if it is a series specialty the fh, ect would be applied. i don't believe pcgs, ngc, or anacs take strike into consideration for grade assignation even tho they have varriety attribution services, ect.. once again...i could be wrong. its up to us collectors to determine what is a good coin for a given grade. the more you learn, the better off you are. david bowers has lobbied for a full strike designation for all coins when graded. it would be useful but then more people who look at the holder and depend on it to tell them what to buy. it can still be full strike and terribly ugly!!!

 

Just because you value (and grade) a coin considering the strike strength doesn't mean that TPGs or the market does too. I have found strike, unless is it incredibly weak, does not come into consideration until a coin gets into the 66 range, IMO as it should be....Mike

 

GDJMSP...at what l grade does strike come into factor? is it only at 66 and above? i've seen walkers with virtually no hand at 65...thank you so much for your information.it is greatly appreciated..steve

 

thanks..i follow all that..just looking for a little more clarification. so just to use the walkers as a reference. for ms 65 grade the strike will have to be average for that date/mint/series and for it to receive a higher assignation to hit 66 or above, it will have to have a proportionately fuller strike. do they literally compare that particular date and mint or is it based upon a representative sample for the entire series? thanks again this is from someone who only has 1 ms65 coin in my morgan set. even the common ms66 is out of my price range vs spreading the money out over lesser grade morgans. thank you again for the education.

 

srkjkd,
This link should be useful.

 

Tons of coins have their grades limited by strikes. I have seen 100's of coins with pristine surfaces, but they have been limited to a grade of 63 or 64, simply because of striking weakness. I agree that most coins are affected around the 66 grade, however, it varies by series and weakness of strike.

 

thanks, i use the vam book as well as the buyers guide and other references whenever evaluating a particular morgan for purchase. the grading services were just beginning when i spent my early years collecting. the ms grades had not even broken down into the 64, ect. i just didn't know how the grading services evaluated the coins as in the s vs o case above. i evaluate the coins as such but didn't know whether the grading services did the same. there simply weren't slabbed coins when i was first collecting, so you only had your opinion as opposed to the other persons. now it is grading service vs thier opinion vs my opinion. thank you for your information.

 

Thanks for posting the link in your quote. I believe that is a worthwhile & enjoyable visit.