The Official CoinTalk Grading Experiment 25

You want to try something weird? We don't get many of these Trade dollars posted here, and even less on GTGs....

How good is CoinTalk compared to the TPGs? Let's find out! Over the next several months, I'll be posting a continuous stream of Guess the Grade threads. I will be using photos from the Heritage auction archives (please do not cheat!).

All you have to do is guess the grade! I will be attaching a poll to each thread. Please select the grade that you think best represents the coin (to avoid bias, please select your grade before viewing the rest of the thread).

Also please post your opinions about the coin, and it would be most educational if you could explain why you chose the grade you did.

Around Christmas, I will tally up the results and see how we did. This thread is an offshoot of a recent thread where I compared CT grading to the TPG, seen here: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/how-good-is-cointalk-at-grading.343417/

We're going to cover a wide range of material, and some of it may be out of your wheelhouse. However, if you are a confident grader, you should be able to accurately grade almost any coin.

 

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I'll go. 64, nice luster, nice look, in spite of quite a few contact marks.

 

I think the luster carries near gem surfaces over the line to a gem grade. That said, I have never collected Trade Dollars and have no idea how they are graded.

 

63 ....luster looks to be booming, but the abundance of chatter makes it a 63/64 max in my opinion (I went with 63)

 

I said 66. This is a coin whose eye appeal and luster will most likely make up for the chatter in the fields. Plus if you consider gradeflation...

 

I am no pro, but I found a site with photo examples and descriptions, https://www.pcgs.com/grades (I hope this doesn't count as cheating)
I am on the edge, 65 says "Above average strike with minor marks or hairlines, mostly out of focal areas"
But 64 is "Average or better strike with scattered marks or hairlines, though none severe"
I'll go with 64

 

I said 63.

 

Attractive, with great luster, OK strike (a little weak on the head), no bad marks on prime focal areas. The fields are just lightly scuffed. Textbook 64.

 

Luster carries the day...MS65.

 

MS 64 would go 65 but marks in front of face are a slight distraction.

 

I voted 64. Luster of a 65, chatter of a 63, so I split the difference.

 

Basically my thinking. First thought was 64

 

I went 65. I am thinking the marks are not as significant nor distracting in hand.

I think luster and eye appeal carried this one over the strike and contact marks.

 

63. Luster strong. Lot of chatter especially the big mark in left obverse field. Average strike. Which makes a lot of these coins au with the slightest rub. A strong 63. These I can grade. A pretty coin

 

I voted MS-63. Some people would call this coin "a blazer." It got there from the fact that it was struck with new or possibly recently re-polished dies and a coin dip that worked. It’s got lots of luster, but it’s got its share of marks too, including a big one Ms. Liberty’s knee. There are also a few others in the fields.

I have an MS-64 graded piece with less marks than this. It has white surfaces, but they don’t glow like this piece. Therefore it would not surprise me if the grading company called this MS-64, but the marks are still there.

 

64

 

65 since my previous gradings have been too low.

 

66 I would have called it a proof. They didn't make proof trade dollars, though, did they?

 

MS64 and a dandy at that!