The Official Grading Experiment, Phase 2, #2

At the conclusion of Phase 1 around Christmas, I began to think that the photos I was using (from Heritage) might be biasing the grading guesses. So, I want to host Phase 2. I will again be using standardized photos, but this time I'll be using PCGS TrueViews. Again, we will stick to problem free US coins.

So, let's grade some more coins!

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.

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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MS66RD is my stab at it

 

MS 65...a few too many stray marks on both sides to be higher

 

65RD here

 

PCGS TruView photos are taken while the coin is raw, before it is put into the slab. That's one of the advantages they have.

 

I chose 66 rd because of the light scratches and I'm new to grading.

 

MS-64 RD. Great luster, as most early Lincoln cents have, but it is rather baggy on both the obverse and reverse. I see no reason that this would not get a RD designation

 

I’m at 64 as well. Luster looks great but there appear to be some surface issues and scattered marks.

 

I think this area is from a weak strike and is leftover planchet chatter. This area into the O in ONE and the E. P in E Pluribus is opposite from Lincoln's shoulder and often is weakly struck and planchet chatter can be evident. I went MS 65RD.

 

65R. Too many marks for 66.

 

65RD.

 

66

 

I'm at MS65 RD on this one. I'm hoping that the supersized photos are making all the barely noticeable hits at lower magnification look worse than they really are. The overall attractiveness is off the charts and the red color seems almost a given. I think the spot to the left of the date and the discoloration on the rim above the S in PLURIBUS are the biggest distractions.

 

MS-67 RD

 

65

 

Quite a bit of marks 64 red

 

65RD

 

65RD. Luster, color, and strike are great, as they should be on a 1919. Lots of little marks on the shoulder typical for 65, as are a couple light ones on the face, and some larger ones in the lower reverse fields. The spot left of the date doesn't bother me, as it is just toning, and not black.