The second coin I zeroed in on back on April 28. I was surprised during a closer look at home to see it has a slight MAD going on. I compared wear condition to PCGS Photograde and came up with a ballpark VF20. The striations may be stains but it could also be improperly mixed alloy. It's on the reverse too. I have soaked in distilled water (hot/195 degrees, almost boiling) and it has lessened the dark residue at the end of LIBERTY. Here's the reverse: As with my first shield nickel, this is my first Large Cent. Research tells me they became large cents only when they began minting the small cent, I believe that was the Flying Eagle cent in 1857 if I recall correctly. Before that they were just cents. Let me know y'alls comments. You won't hurt my feelings being brutal. My best to all, Spark
Yes, I think that VF-20 is right for the grade. Keep working with the grading guides, and you will an expert before you know it. I learned by studying Photograde in the early 1970s. The first small cents, which were issued in quantity, were the 1856 Flying Eagles. Around 800 of them were handed out to members of Congress to convince them to vote for the change. The thinking is now that another 1,400 or so 1856 flyers were issued in subsequent years up to 1860 for a total of 2,200. One look at the Red Book will tell you that the 1856 flyer is very expensive.
