Grant Commemorative Half MS65?

No rush at all. I will be passing on that coin. Really just don't like the look of that particular coin. I will stay on the lookout for one that I like a little better. I appreciate all of the comments on this coin. Thanks!

 

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grant

:thumb:

 

True dat.

It's all about eye appeal, my friend.

For a 65, that coin is not very attractive (to me personally). I assure you there are many 63s and 64s with as much "pop" as that coin.

If you really want a 65, hold out for a great coin. I mean a really gorgeous coin.

After all, 65 is supposed to mean GEM. A 65 should be a marvelous coin. A head-turner. Hold out for a 65 coin that "has it all" and lacks nothing. Sharp strike, sweet fields, strong luster. They are out there, I assure you.

If you have to "talk yourself into it", forget it.

This coin is average. Pass.

 

dcure: You've gotten some great advice here. David Bowers has a good sized book out called the Experts guide to collecting and investing in rare coins. I've read 80% of it. One of the points he makes, early on in the book is the idea of an "optimal collecting grade", along with eye appeal.

In other words, most coins have a point at which the price really takes off. This Grant half dollar is a prime example.

NGC's price guide puts it at 103.50 to 150.00 from AU50 to MS63. A relatively tight spread over all those grades. So a 63 is 150.00, but the 64 jumps to 287.00. Then a 65 jumps to 690.00. MS-66 is put at 1,280 and a 67 goes to 3,910.
Going by this, Bowers would say the 66 is the optimal grade to purchase, assuming it would also have excellent eye appeal. Reason being, the difference between a 66 and 67 is ever so subtle, but the price jump is nearly 3x to 67 level. Bowers could afford the 67 but he would buy a 66 with great eye appeal that may pass as a 67. That's his philosophy.

That being said, people like us with a more conservative budget need to look back a notch or two but the reasoning is still the same. The system still works.

Personally, I would look for a premium MS-64 with good eye appeal. It's worth nearly double the next lower grade and the next higher grade is over double in value. The 64 would be the optimum collector grade, representing the best value to me, and it wouldn't break the bank. Just find one with great eye appeal.

The one in this ebay auction should go for low end MS65 money IMO. That doesn't mean it's worth buying. A premium 64 would be much more desirable to most anyone and would cost much less.

 

You're right, Lehigh. I tried to tell my last prospective girlfriend that...and it is no wonder I'm still single.

Kidding aside, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While what you and I like are generally similar, the same doesn't necessarily go for others. Can you really speak for his tastes? Also, let's keep in mind the photo is really a scan, and hard to tell what the coin really looks like -- I'll wager it does have some color not visible in the scan. But again, it's not what you or I want that matters -- it's what HE wants!

Respectfully...Mike