1913 Lincoln Grade

I am usually pretty good about grading Lincolns, but I can't decide between VF and XF. I think it may just have a weak strike (note weakness in fields on lower reverse). There is a fairly big price difference between the two, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

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Uh oh. Well, you won't like my opinion. This is a F coin that has been cleaned and retoned. IMO

 

The color is a little off. I know it looks that way in the picture, but I know what original surfaces on a copper look like, and this is definitely original. Can't say I agree with you on the grade, but I respect your opinion.

 

Definitely no better than F.
As to the "cleaned" part, it would be quite unusual to have that much "original" color after having that much circulation.

 

When I say original, I don't mean that it looks like it just came off the presses, but that it has not been tampered with.

 

If the coin were not cleaned, I would say VF. I would only go XF with that coin if it had sharp wheats and yours look flat. However, that coin definitely looks cleaned to me.

 

Disregard the color when you grade it, as it does not look like it does in hand.

 

Well, the coin is fairly worn, and looks to have been cleaned (sorry, but that's just the way the coin looks). I'm going to say F details

 

I have always thought that when the cheekbone and jaw are separated, it is VF. The only reason I question if it is XF is because I think it might be a weak strike.

 

F details, cleaned, net VG

 

People who focus on a single feature of the coin will often become confused when seeing a weakly struck coin (or thinking they're seeing one, as is the case here, I suspect). I think it will be in your best interest to lose the books and focus on wear, strike, and/or lack thereof. To bring home this point, that coin is a F (maybe VF) coin because of amount of wear on both sides, and not because of the face detail or strike. All IMHO & respectfully submitted...Mike

 

1913 is not usually weak struck. Not too bad at least. An easy way to tell this is wear and not a weak strike is how worn down the wheats are.

 

nothing more to add here that has not been said

 

Okay thanks. I only paid $1 for it so I think that is about right.

 

What would you grade it?

 

If you are saying that the lack of wheat lines is an indicator of wear, I have found the exact opposite. As a for instance, just look at the 1926-S.

As for this coin, here is an example of a coin certified f12. To me, the OP's coin (obverse) is obviously better.

 

technically the coin is a solid VF, one side does not wear more than the other, so a weak reverse is obvious.

BUT, in reality, the coin is a passer as so many nicer 13's are available in every grade and well struck. You can find all the teeners sharp as a tack if you look.

I am not commenting on originality at all based on these pics.

The strike on this coin is more typical of a 24-D or 26-S, and many of the branch mint 1920's decade

 

The only other teener I can think of that I have seen like this is the 1911-D which carries a mushy strike, but usually on the obverse, go figure

 

Rlm, based on your pics, thats one sharp F-12, lets see the reverse and try to figure out why they only gave it a 12

 

Here is the reverse. My point was, that 1913- does not have the wear to make it fine. It may net to a fine, but it is not worn that way. From the looks of it, I might give it an XF if the strike were strong.