Grading is like a slinky. Sometimes it stretches, sometimes it springs back, sometimes it gets twisted into a knot. And it all varies.
Depending on the value, professional conservation services like NCS can work absolute wonders sometimes. I've seen an entire safe worth of coins...
Yes, this is exactly how you have to think about it (and how most people think). The cost of the coin is $5000.... so you spend $5000 total and...
This, I think, is something that we can all agree on. I also think you underestimate your influence... if you started advocating for something...
Any coin with visible wear must be graded AU-58 or lower. Those are the rules. That being said, an attractive AU-58 may often be worth far more...
64?
The debate between "technical grading" and "market grading" has raged for decades now. Old school collectors (generally, those who started before...
I'm absolutely not knocking your experience! I also fully understand that pre-1985, things were done quite a bit differently than they are today....
Let me clarify, because this is a subtle point: I've made peace with grading based on the production values of a coin. Many Lincolns of the 20's...
I'm fully aware that key dates get graded softly, but I'm not aware of too many varieties which receive the same treatment (maybe a 1955/55...
Ah, I've been saying this for years. I'm a huge fan of my SLEC method (Strike, Luster, Eye Appeal, Contact Marks), and awarding each an individual...
Tons of contact marks and dull luster.... this one tops out at 63. And no, those muted colors won't get a Star. Cool textile toning on the...
The plethora of contact marks should limit this to a 63. The toning looks quite attractive and may have earned a Star. I'll bet this is quite...
I went 65PL. There are some marks on her cheek, and I see quite a few marks in the fields especially reverse. I think it fully makes PL.
Really hard to judge the luster, but the surfaces look remarkably mark-free in these pictures. I went with 66 because that dip-residue toning is...
Yup, that is just struck from a tired old die. The disappearing letters, mushy stars, bloated details... characteristic of an old die. Kind of...
The only thing that concerned me was the mark on her cheekbone right behind her nose. If that is a luster break, I see no problem with it at 66...
I really don't see how anyone can honestly say that these two coins are even in the same league. One is clearly, vastly superior to the other!...
Yes, this is at least F-15. An argument could be made for VF-20, but I think the obverse has *just* too much wear. (There used to be a grade F-18,...
Is there anything different about the ANA one, other than the front cover?
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