Mexico 5 Centavos 1918

This has a bit of luster in hand but also a small scratch on the reverse but not prominent. Fairly large bump in cost from fine to very fine. This is a raw coin but what do you think it would grade? I have no idea with this series.

 

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I would say - it is Very Fine.

 

Thanks for the review. Yes the price more than doubles between F and VF.

Edit: then more than doubles (almost triples) again from VF to XF. I imagine these were workhorses back in the day, and not a lot survive in better condition.

 

That's a nice coin. As you say these were workhorses and are often heavily worn. I've seen a lot from this series where you can barely make out the date.

 

I guess I'm going to be more conservative in my grading. From my familiarity (albeit limited) with Mexican coins, I don't consider the coin makes VF. Look at the snake crossing the eagle's breast. Thus to me, it's somewhere in the Fine category.

 

I agree good point. What I don't know if there is some issue of weak strike in play that could contribute to the flatness of the snake across the eagle breast.

 

It's an easy VF in my opinion. I agree there are some strike issues.

 

I hadn't seriously considered having it graded until you mentioned that. I think it needs some conservation on the reverse around the 5 o'clock position where a small amount of verdigris seems to be in the denticles.

 

I like your peso coin here is mine with a similar wear pattern. I am not sure you posted the correct one. You mentioned 50 centavo...

 

I think it's a low end VF.

As a rule though it's easier to overgrade world coins than to undergrade. I believe a good thumbing would improve its appearance.

 

So here is the scoup on this particular coin. I got this in a lot of about 30 pieces where I picked out of a bin. A lot of them were old bid board items that did not sell. I got them for a dollar each. This particular one still had the LCS card attached with a grade of fine a catalogue price of $35 and an opening bid of $7. So it didn't sell and ending up in this bin where I paid $1 for it. If I were to send it in and it came back VF then it would be an easier sell down the road and I would only have the grading fees and postage (and the dollar) into the coin.

 

I am not sure what a thumbing is but it seems to me that might be a good idea. What do you do? Wash your hands and lightly rub the coin with your thumb?