This was housed in a problem free ICG slab. I really liked the look of this one, with some nice golden rim toning. The price was right too. Grade away!
Looks like a solid F-12 to me. The real key is whether or not the shield is complete. If it is blended into the breast, then it doesn't quite make Fine. I would say however that it's a key date coin and as such is usually graded more leniently by the TPGs.
Ben, for the coin to be a VF-20, all of the rivets in the shield must be there. They can be weak, but they must be there. This coin does not have all of the rivets. Let alone meet the criteria for VF-30.
Well every now and then you miss one but I've seen PCGS VF-20 quite a bit worse than this coin, I like this coin very much and will hold with what I said.
My gut tells me F12 at a glance but I have seen coins like this graded much higher by PCGS as well. I'll go VF20 in a PCGS slab.
Thanks for the comments. ICG graded it as F-15, and I paid $69. The 27-s seems to be graded more liberally I've noticed. I always thought this was because there were strike issues with the 27-s. Anyways, it is a nice upgrade from this junk lot find:
This is a good example of what I think needs to be considered. A Market Grade higher than the technical Grade. Why NOT grade this F-11 (due to not quite complete shield definition) Technical Grade with the F-15 or even F-20 (F-18?) Market Grade due to general eye appeal? I also think the tweeners should get a tween grade. There are just so many tween grades NOT being used... Call me crazy...
I'm sorry but the very last thing on earth we need is more splits and multible numbers in our grading system especially when things such as "market" and "general eye appeal" can and does change within series all the time.
I still like he split grading. How many times have you seen a coin grade Vf obv, F rev? or whatever.. I say bring back the old days when life was much simpler. Yep, she's purty, how much? Bugly sorta ugly not bad decent nice real nice purty BU there ya have it.. Jims grading service.
I'm probably one of the few whose eyes are bad enough that I do better with large photos than with the coin in hand. Of course there's nothing like a good stereoscopic microscope...
The technical grade is F-12. The market grade is F-15 and largely because it is a key date. Market grades are typically going to be higher not lower (although they can be). As far as grading it F-11, let's not. If it's not a 12, then it's a VG-10.
