How much hairlining is acceptable on MS coins?

l’ve thought that the presence on non-cleaning hairlines on MS coins relegated it to a grade of MS-60 to MS-62 depending on the other aspects of preservation. Then I saw these while scrolling through my Facebook feed. The dollar seems to have been excepted. The $3 could just be die polish because I see no “hairlines” on the devices, but I will throw it in for discussion anyway.

This is not a PCGS bash post. I’d like to know what the standard is, if there is a defined standard, or if there is no actual standard.

 

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This idea is where your analysis has gone off the rails. The idea of X relegates it to Y is finished. It no longer exists. It's a mix of all facets.

 

So getting to what you are asking and what I want to understand too, when I look at each, the "polish" lines, running from the 9 to 3, are quite noticeable, but I guess PCGS did not take them into account very much during grading because of the age of each piece. Correct ? The detail on each is still remarkable. Coming from a newbie like me, they are beautiful coins.

 

No, they take EVERYTHING into account always. Gold is very different than silver grading and digital photographs bring out small tick marks a lot. The $1 coin is also very small and the pictures end up being a higher magnification than things are graded at.

Both those coins look acceptable, but the important fact is that any conservation such as this has to be separated by metal types

 

Aaaaaaaaaa-men! THE number one takeaway from having taken the ANA's grading course. Gold grading has VERY LITTLE in common with grading any other metal.

 

Old gold is a different animal in this regard. You have to really know the series before buying. For example here are two gem 1885 G$1s I owned the top one. Notice the identical die lines (easier to see on coin facts site) that especially depending on how they're imaged can make it look like hairlines.





I know the $3 series has a few dates with similar die issues.

Also old gold in general accepts hairlines more than other metals it definitely doesn't limit the grade that low unless they're excessive similar to a proof coin.

 

Yeppp it's not a metal for those who value surface preservation over all else. Takes a lot of practice to get a hang of especially when you're not used to seeing 64s with so many hits on them.

 

I didn't, at the time, take into account, and remember that gold is going to be softer and thus, more susceptible to the polishing.

 

When I took the course, I was presented with a gold coin that looked like it had been in the maximum tire path on I-95 for an hour. It was an MS-62.

 

Die polish has no effect on the grade, and I suspect the lines I see on the $3 are just that. Hairlines, on the other hand, should and do impact the grade. The gold dollar has hairlines, likely from being obverse-down in a fabric-lined coin tray.

That confirms that what I am seeing on the 1878 $3 is indeed die polish lines.

The difference here is that the gold dollar has these lines ON the devices. Die polish does not have that characteristic.

 

Shouldn't your name be IBetAGoldDollar?

 

When someone says die polish lines, they are not talking about the coin itself being polished. The dies were polished giving them hairlines, which show up on the coins as tiny raised lines.

 

If that was a lyric in a Thin Lizzy song I'd have done it for sure but they chose Silver so here I am

 

Given the evidence of some pretty strong clashing on the reverse, I strongly suspect that these are die polish lines. They polished so heavily that they erased some of the obverse lettering!

 

If I chose a lyric for my name then I'd be ComfortablyNumb.

 

That guitar solo is as close to perfection as you can get

 

I also see a change in tone on the high points of the coin, with nice looking luster in the recesses, it is harder to see on the reverse but I suspect that it has been either slightly circulated or sat in a cabinet sliding around.. the 3 dollar definitely looks like die polishing lines.

 

Name a single standard that has never changed ever in history and is still true

 

The horizontal bright lines on the $3 are NOT from die polish.

The ANA Guide states a coin can be a '62 with hairlines from mishandling or cleaning. This guideline IS NOT FOLLOWED!