I always look at coins in problem holders... This is the reason... ANACS "Problem holdered" this coin for being scratched. In my opinion these aren't scratches at all but planchet flaws. It's hard to see from the pictures...but you see the large hole? the edge of the design flows over the edge of the hole...It almost looks like it is falling in... leading me to believe that they were there when the coin was struck... I think I got a heck of a deal... getting it for more then half of sheet for the grade. I'm tempted to send it in at a show to NGC and see what they say. And its a B-21 that is an R4 die pair to boot.
I have to wonder if perhaps the area you have focused on Matt is not the area they are calling scratched. There are a couple of places on the reverse and one on the on obv where the coin is scratched, albeit lightly. Normally scratches such as these do not stop a coin of this age from being slabbed, but perhaps this time they did. They may well have recognized what you point out on the rev as a planchet flaw.
Before I bought it I really looked this coin over... there really isn't any area besides that area on the reverse that would even qualify as a scratch.. there are some light abrasions as usual... but besides the area that I believe is a planchet flaw... the coin is really nice and original (even under a glass). The line through the date is a die crack, and there are some various die cracks around the reverse.
You could well be right Matt, I am just talking out loud more than anything. As I said, normally what I am seeing would not cause a coin like this to be classed as scratched. But by the same token, the mark you indicate would not be classed as a scratch either as it does appear to be a planchet flaw. Of course, on the other hand, ANACS aint the compnay they used to be. Is this in one of their newer slabs ? The marks I am talking about that might be classed as scratches are indicated in the pic.
Out of the red marks on that particular picture... the only one that is an abrasion is the one closest to the left side of the picture... the others indicated are die cracks. It's in an old school anacs holder... which is why i was a bit surprised.. let me shoot some more pics
"Scratched" seems to be cutting hairs to me. You can find a lot of value in coins in "problem" holders (if you can live with the problem), and the OP's coin seems to be a good example of this. By way of another example, here's an ANACS "corroded" coin that I've posted here a few times: Does it have some pitting -- yes. Is it so problematic as to look past the coin -- not to me. Respectfully...Mike
Don't disagree with ya Mike. (careful now, don't get excited - I'm not gonna make it a habit ) But on Matt's coin, that scratched designation means a lot in the value of the coin. For if it is a planchet flaw as he suspects, that could make as much as $1k-$2k difference in the selling price.
