In my opinion, this is a sharp looking coin. It seems like it might be under-granded to me but I'm not well-versed in graded gold so I would like to ask the community for their opinion. So is this coin graded lower than it should be? 1902 Gold Quarter Eagle
I was going to wax poetic about the brutality of the assigned grade, until I looked at fifteen or so auction result images. Basically couldn't tell any of them apart between MS62 and MS64 or 65, and a couple 66's didn't seem much better. All over the map. So instead I'll wax poetic about the issue-specific ineptitude of the TPG's, and opine that this is one which suffered from great grade creep during the bad old days and now has snapped back like a rubber band, stinging the fingers of those currently submitting them. How's it compare to this one?
There are many very good looking gold coins in the MS62 grade, especially those that were victims of a very light localized wipe or two . . . not so egregious that the TPGs would bag the coin, but net grade it instead. I think I detect a bit of that look in a couple of areas on the posted coin, but would know better seeing it in person. It's interesting that in grading gold, the TPGs are usually harder on these often less distracting flaws than on the often naturally, but much more severely, marked surfaces. I think that is due to an understandable prejudice toward natural treatment over unnatural, and to the fact that gold, being such a soft metal, rarely escapes blemishes / marks from incidental contact.
Here's one of my MS62's. I'm totally happy with it. IMO, you can find some nice gold pieces in this grade. The coin in the OP's link looks odd. IMO, there seems to be some "massaging" going on.
Many, many great looking coins in 62 are really 58s with the slightest highp point rub. Or, as Tough mentioned have a few light hairlines.
