There is no guarantee either way. I don't know about the modern coins, but I know on the older stuff that when spots are removed, they come back...
I have argued for years that so-called "True"views are garbage. There are at least a dozen photographers on CoinTalk alone that could take better...
None of those coins will get a gold star. I'm not convinced any of them will get the green bean either. I'm curious to see the results of the...
This coin is 0.9999 pure gold. What that means is 0.0001 is other stuff (silver and copper, mostly). The copper will sometimes tone. You see this...
I'll vote NT on that. The obverse has an less common appearance, but is consistent with what I have seen from some types of holders. The colors...
I think Buffaloes are one of the hardest series to grade. I'll wager a low-confidence 66 on this.
It looks attractive. I'd like to see the toning better lit to really show this coin off. I'm going to guess 65 - there are some hits in central...
You have to remember that so-called "True"Views present an oversaturated, red-shifted caricature of a coin. They are especially bad for toned...
Thanks, I appreciated the breakdown in that thread of what Brand had in his hoard. That is quite a lot of '94s! I've always liked the 1794 half...
I hadn't heard about a hoard of them being released. Do you have a link to an article about it somewhere?
Not really. I can see an argument being made for AU-50, but this is more like what an EF-45 should be. Looks like NGC may be tightening up a bit...
The luster is definitely lacking, which hurts the grade quite a bit. I'd like to see better pictures of the reverse, as well, because I'm guessing...
I agree with the EF grade. These black coins can sometimes be attractive if there is enough luster left underneath. When the black becomes dull,...
1. Old fogey's have been proclaiming the death of coin collecting for at least 120 years. It's still doing okay. 2. Classic Commems are probably...
TPG Pop reports are more useful as a relative tool than an absolute. I can look at the FBL population for a 1960 Franklin and see that it is...
How much do you think the die state has to do with these variations? That is, the appearance may change as the die becomes more worn?
Try using a $2 bill and see what happens!
This is where the Heritage archives becomes extremely valuable. Hundreds of examples of each coin, each date, each series, in every grade imaginable.
There are two books that I recommend for everyone to learn to grade. First you need a picture reference to compare and give you a visual idea of...
This is a common misconception, but it is a completely false statement. The coin is considered to be market acceptable, not problem free. Minor...
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