This is a wonderful coin gotten many years ago from an English auction (possibly Glendining). Scratches on holder, not coin. I submitted it to one of the TPGs and unbelievably it came back as AU58. Promptly wrote them back and requested a "re-grade"; this was about 15 or more years ago....
... and? Did you get a re-grade? It is indeed a beautiful coin. I would tend to agree with the AU58 grade but then again, it's one of those slider-type pieces where it's hard to tell the difference between AU58 and MS (at least based on those photographs). So neither AU58 nor MS63 would surprise me.
Here's mine for comparison. The slight wear on the side of Ed's beard and the hair above his ear earned this one a MS-55 from NGC. I'm not seeing any of that on your coin, so yeah, I understand your skepticism over the original grade.
Well, in hand the lustre is truly great, and the coin fairly well struck with only minimal contacts, the color differential on the hair of Eddie is not friction and more a result of the coruscating lustre. IMHO, look at the forelock with the hair definition & at the angle of his jaw as well as the neckline and the wide open spaces with few detractors. It came back from the "P" folks as MS63. Of course ownership adds a point or two, but overall think the coin readily matches up at least on photos to the MS64 that was graded & much better than at least the 2nd MS63.
Yeah, I could easily see that as a 64. But at least it now has a grade closer to what you believe it should be, so that's a win.
Yes, quite true. My 1903 is similar with a bit more toning but don't have a picture readily available. Could be wrong but sense the interest in these is sadly tapering a bit.
LOL. Funny I was at the airport and almost stopped a gentleman because of the silver lustre in his hair with a nice curl to it! And I don't usually notice fashion or details on other than females (sorry for the s--ist statement).... But to return. Eddie halfcrowns other than 1902, not to mention the florins are really tough to find with well struck hair details and mark-free (or nearly so). Although there are not many available, grading on 1903 and 1905 "uncirculated", or nearly so from numerical grade 53 and up by the TPGs seem to be all over the map and in my humble opinion best bought after personal inspection.
