Grade opinions - 1936 Norfolk Commemorative

This is one of those coins that could go a million different ways, and I just want to see what you all think this would grade at. The color of the coin in the photos is true to the coin in hand. Coin is raw. Thanks! (Image is huge if you click on it)

 

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This is another coin type that confuses me when grading.
I went with MS 66 (could be lower if the luster isn't strong)

 

This is definitely a tough one to grade. There are practically no fields and it doesn’t have any distractions to me.

67 would not surprise me. I’m gonna go with 66+ as I believe it would CAC as a 66 especially with the originality going on here.

 

I voted it MS-66, but as the OP said, it could go many ways.

This coin comes nice because it was sold to collectors who properly stored them and the profusion of words protect the fields. It’s hard to find this coin really marked up.

Color like this could result from natural toning, or it could be an interim stop toward black because it has been dipped and not properly rinsed.

Stupid me bought an MS-66 graded Oregon Trail in a new holder and now it’s going bad. I am going to blow it off for a fraction of what I paid because I was so stupid. It is PCSG graded.

 

I see no reason you won't get full 66 money for it. There are tons of folks that buy the slab.

 

To my untrained eyes, the color looks natural and appealing. It's a beautiful coin, but I gave it 65+. I have a hard time grading unfamiliar, "busy" designs so I look at the rim and extrapolate. I would expect fewer rim dings for MS66.

 

I am not going to wager a guess. I find it very difficult to grade these to begin with, and with photos only and dark toning I would be simply guessing.

I love the coin, very pretty. I am simply saying I could not intelligently, (if anything I do fits that description), guess a grade with a photo. I would need to see it in hand.

Edit: Btw OP, make sure you stop the toning where it is now. I keep coming back to it, absolutely beautiful and perfectly adapted to the design just the way it is. I am jealous, and I do not say that often.

 

I had the exact same thought. Beautiful coin...but I just can't give a competent grade in photos.

 

I would think it is an easy 66. I love the coin. Fabulous color.

 

Man that coin is awesome.

 

'65

 

I think I will say MS66+.
This is certainly an interesting coin to grade, and I feel like visual appearance plays a good part in the grading of this particular coin design.

 

MS-66, nice original toning!

 

67.

 

Very nice. It depends to me on luster that might come through and is not visible in the pictures. As we see it here, I'm at MS-66. If there is luster pizazz... higher than that.

 

I have a gorgeous 68 that's rainbow toned on both sides.

 

One of my favorite commems. Luckily they come nice without huge jumps in price to 67.
Looks 66 to me. No higher because it is a bit dark, and the colors are missing thw 'wow' factor.

 

I don't want to jack your thread but here's my 68. It's now green beaned.

 

Wow, that is a stunner. It deserves a gold bean.

 

So MS66 got 10 votes, and there 4 who voted for "Grade bump or +/* for color/eye-appeal". So that puts the general consensus around 66/66+*/67.

I appreciate everyone's input, and maybe I'm just too critical of my own coins, but I put it at 65/65+*, with a maybe 66, and here's why (and I'd love to hear any additional thoughts on my assessment).

Of course the color is awesome, and the luster is pretty bangin', but after spending too much time looking at the coin at 10x, there are a few hits that I think might kep it at 65. Nobody here mentioned (noticed?) the hits, so maybe they aren't even that distracting, but I can't unsee them, even with the coin's beauty. Only one is visible with the naked eye (reading glasses properly installed), and that's only if you know to look for it, but here are the hits (not including rim dings which @yakpoo mentioned);



I bought this strictly for the color (I already have a blast white in 66 which doesn't really look good with my mostly toned almost complete set)