Grade my Grades / Analysis of my Latest Cherry Picks Please!

I think I should send these off for my next submission, to either PCGS or NGC, along with some of my world coins that are still on their way. But before then, can you all please grade my grades and my short analysis of how I came to those grades? Maybe you all want to grade first before seeing what I have to say, so I put spoilers up.

Sorry for the poor pics - the first set were taken by the seller since it's still incoming, and the second set were taken by me.

Thanks in advance!


+ 1909 VDB Wheat Cent - Frosty

Spoiler

MS-65 RD: I think that much of the non-red color comes from the frosty devices / legends. The circular blotch may be slightly distracting to some collectors, but I don't mind it as much, and it's a small blotch. Rim toning doesn't seem to take away too much from the red color.

All-in-all, it seems to be a borderline RB-RD color, but I'm going with RD. Also, although this coin is slabbed by ANACS, I'm completely ignoring the grade they assigned to it. It's a different grade altogether and I disagree with what they're saying, for better or for worse.

And, I don't see too many frosty 1909 VDB Wheat Cents. I've bought several and ended up submitting 5 of them to PCGS, and none of the ones I've bought raw or have seen on the 'Bay have this level of frostiness. Though, they've all been raw, and I usually don't look at slab examples except as an impromptu reference just like PCGS's Photograde. So, maybe the frostiness on the VDB cents aren't as unique as I'm thinking.

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+ 1893 Columbian Half Dollar

Spoiler

MS-64+: Just a few too many hairlines... sharp strike with traces of cameo throughout the devices and legends, which are more prominent on the reverse.

 

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What are YOUR grades. "Frosty" is not in my grading guide.

 

Spoiler

They're in here.

 

OMG that toning is amazingly beautiful on the Columbian half dollar.

 

Awwww, c'mon, maaaannn! Everybody knows it goes, "63, 64, Frosty, 65, 66, ..."

 

That Columbian is very well-struck. That really jumps out at me. Technically, I think it's every bit a gem. Cosmetically, I don't know what they'd grade it. Without seeing your grade, I'm going an easy MS66.

On your VDB, if that little spot in the back of Columbus' head can be described as a cigarette stain, that one on Lincoln's chest is a cigar stain. Those both are distracting to how one's eye moves through the coin. They're like, well, eye-magnets. Anyway, the pictures on the VDB are a little fuzzy for a technical grade. Assuming it's MS, that cigar stain is bad for its health, and I can't see it market grading over MS63.

Now don't hold any of this against me, lol; I'm going to click spoiler now...

 

Here's what ANACS gave it:

Spoiler

MS-64 RB

If after seeing it in-person I still want to submit it, then I'll probably put it in an acetone bath followed by a xylene bath then another acetone bath. I hope that'll help reduce the circular toning mark, which I've had surprising luck with in the past.

 

I couldn't get a fix on the technical strength. Oh well.

 

I get my acetone at a major home maintenance retail chain. I never see xylene. Where is it sold?

 

I think that we got ours at Ace. It's paint-stripper, Kurt.

 

I'm going to give my opinions on the coins, and then check your spoilers:

Lincoln: I like it at 64 RB. That spot on the obverse is highly distracting, almost to the point where I wouldn't be surprised to see it called "UNC Details, Stained." There is absolutely no way this coin gets called Red with that much toning on the obverse, and with that spot. The reverse appears attractive, though.

Columbian: I'm torn between AU-58 and MS-64. Your pictures don't show any luster at all, and make the fields look like they've seen some rub. The strike is unusually good, but the eye appeal is tricky to pin down. The coin has been dipped, and this is retoning after that cleaning. That dip may have contributed to the lackluster fields. I'm also concerned by the patch of hairlines on the obverse in front of his nose.

 

@physics-fan3.14 You wrote THE BOOK!


Columbian: Your pictures don't show any luster at all,..

Please take another look. What should I call that frosty white stuff all over the surface?

 

Hmm, I guess its use on "colorized" coins is sketchy then.

 

Ice cream? Pina colada? Call it whatever you want.

You and I may be interpreting the photos differently, but I don't see luster. That could be because the photos aren't great, or it could be because the coin doesn't have much luster. Just my opinion.

 

Shocker .

The white surface on the coin is 100% original mint luster. These coins usually do not come anywhere near this nice. "Frosty white is nice...gray, shiny, or silver color is not.

 

Yes, but ... do you LIKE piña colada, ... and getting caught in the rain?

 

The Columbian half has a ton of cartwheel luster, which is difficult for me to photograph but it's most definitely there in high amounts. The Lincoln - I'll have to wait to see it in-person but in any case, I like the frostiness attribute of the cent.

 

This thing can make you "punchy." As in, brain damage. We shouldn't even be using it.

 

Does ANACS slab coins with stains / corrosion or whatever problems that NGC / PCGS typically don't grade, or are they good about that kind of thing? Maybe that'll help determine what exactly that spot is, or rather, isn't.

 

NGC or PCGS would grade MS 66 on the Columbian and MS64RB on the Lincoln cent. I am much more conservative and if these came across my desk I would grade MS 65 or MS 64 on the Columbian. On the cent you will probably get a 64RB from NGC or PCCS but I would grade it a MS63 RB but that is just me.