Walking Liberty Halves: What's most important to assess strike?

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Browns Fan, Sep 11, 2021.

  1. Browns Fan

    Browns Fan Active Member

    Is it left breast, hand, eagle's feathers? Breast or leg feathers? Both legs? Can you have one without the other?
     
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  3. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    Traditionally, Walker fans judge based on the arm and hand. Generally, if the arm is well struck, the breast will be also. The arm on some is so soft that you literally can't even see her arm. The best strikes have a full hand with distinguishable fingers. These are nearly impossible on some dates, some dates are somewhat common.
     
  4. Mac McDonald

    Mac McDonald Well-Known Member

    Good question. I've had more tell me it's all in the eagle's breast...although not sure the difference of "left breast" and just "breast"...in fact too many are under the impression that ANY compromise in full breast feathers means wear. That said, have never seen a hand...the one cradling the branches...distinguishable enough for clear fingers, even on those I have slabbed in MS65/66. The other, outstretched arm/hand is a different story...many with fingers easily distinguishable. The ANA seems to concentrate more on skirt/gown lines than anything else.
     
  5. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    To illustrate, I present two of mine - one is well struck, and the other is not. Notice on the first one you can see her whole hand, the branch its holding, and you can see her thumb. This would meet the "Full Hand" strike criteria.

    Notice on the second one you can't see any of that. This is an unusually poorly struck example, but it shows the clear difference.

    JPA867 obverse.jpg JPA888 obverse.JPG
     
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  6. Tigermoth1

    Tigermoth1 Active Member

    Where would this sole example fit in on grading scheme?
    1934Walker half.jpg
     
  7. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    The problem with that coin is that it has seen circulation wear. The high points are usually the weakest struck because it takes the most force to get the metal there. On uncirculated coins, that lack of detail is from an incomplete strike.

    On a circulated coin, such as you show, those high points are also the first to experience wear. Thus, an EF half dollar as you show has quickly lost the fine hand and thumb details (and eagle feathers, and breast detail), as has been mentioned in this thread.
     
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  8. GDJMSP

    GDJMSP Numismatist Moderator

    While I readily agree about the left arm and hand being used by many to judge quality of strike on Walkers, to me it's no different than any special strike designation such as FS, FH, FT, etc- which in my opinion are basically worthless, meaningless when it comes to judging quality of strike.

    When one is judging quality of strike, you have take ALL details on both sides of the coin into account ! Not just one small area.

    For example, on Jefferson nickels all 6 steps may be there, full, complete and unbroken. But if windows are missing or barely capable of being seen, or portions of the handrails are missing or barely capable of being seen - how in the world could anyone ever say the coin was well struck ??? I mean you simply can't say it - it's impossible !

    And the very same kind of thing has to be applied to all coins when judging quality of strike. The entire design has to be taken into account before one can say with any meaning at all that a coin is well struck. And to say something like, oh well it's well struck for a nickel - I say horse puckey !

    On Walkers you simply have to judge everything, the hand and arm, the lines in the drapery, the branches details (on both sides), the eagle's feathers (all of them), the talons - everything !
     
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