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Message:: [QUOTE="gboulton, post: 1061917, member: 27043"]If this is all a grading exercise, then by all means, let us continue!  I stand to learn as much as anyone, I'm sure. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> As for the most recent one, I'm going to have to disagree with it's MS grade at all.  If it IS truly uncirculated, then it is, in MY opinion, a fairly abused uncirculated coin.  Of course, that gets into the whole debate between "Mint State" and "Uncirculated", etc.  =======<BEGIN SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC MONOLOGUE HERE>======== As an aside, I always believe there should be a distinction between the two, or at least one should be ruthlessly clear about one's intent.  For example: Let's take a planchet, put it in a press, and strike a coin on it.  It is, at that very minute, both "Mint State" and "Uncirculated".  We can be certain on both of those.  Since it hasn't even left the press yet, it clearly hasn't "circulated" anywhere, and is, by definition, in the condition or state it was in when the mint struck it. As soon as it leaves the press, however, things can start getting a little out of whack. Let's say a careless mint worker drops it on the floor, and a couple more step on it, before someone sees it, picks it up, and tosses it into the correct bin. Obviously, we'll now have a damaged, and possibly worn coin.  But, this can't really be called "Post Mint Damage" can it?  It happened AT the mint. By definition, the coin is STILL in "Mint State".  It hasn't left the mint yet, so this IS, indeed, the state it was in at the mint.  Of course, it's obviously not what is MEANT by "mint state". But where do we draw the line on the damage?  "Bag marks", which are by definition damage from contact, are allowed on a "mint state" coin, even though they were not present when it was struck.  So...is "scuff mark from the floor"...which is damage from contact...also acceptable if it happened in the process of the mint handling the coin? And note here...ALL of this still leaves the coin "uncirculated"...nobody has spent it, received it in change, or even acquired it from a bank. Once on the subject of circulation, we get into the whole 'shelf wear" issue, or what have you.  A coin can certainly wear simply from handling in  collection...in and out of an album, or 2x2, or picked up and returned to a shelf for display, etc etc. This coin too is clearly not "circulated"...but has been handled in many of the same physical ways as a circulating coin might be, resulting in the same type of wear. It's obviously not "mint state" at that point...but is it "circulated"? Having said all of this... =======<END SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC MONOLOGUE HERE>======== I, personally, can't agree that this is a mint state, or even uncirculated coin.  Here's why: 1) Again, look at the hair below the part, particularly directly above the ear.  See how smooth it is?  Now, admittedly, this IS a business strike coin, and some 64's were struck pretty weak...but note how it seems to sort of "blend" into more defined hair lines, as it "falls off" from that center blank area?  To my eyes, that says "wear".  In EITHER case, it certainly detracts from the grade, and if "mint state", it's going to be at the low end. 2) Now look at the high point of the cheek, just right of the nose and below the "end" of the eye.  See how it's slightly "muted"...that is, it's somewhat more "dull", or doesn't "pop" like the areas around it.  Again, these suggest wear. 3) On the reverse, look at the feathers on the eagle's neck.  See how the feathers are "blending" together, and not clearly defined?  More indication of wear. Now...all 3 of those are simply observations of the most commonly worn points on a Kennedy half.  There may be other evidence of wear elsewhere, but those are the 3 places I check first on any coin listed as "mint state" or "uncirculated". Aside from those areas : 4) In the field of the obverse, between Kennedy's mouth and the "L" of Liberty, there is a fairly significant gouge or ding. 5) There are 3 (maybe 4, can't tell if it's a mark or a ding) dings in Kennedy's hair, below and very slightly left of the E.  They're in a row, making it seem more to me like PMD than a simple "bag mark". 6) Draw a diagonal line from the ear to the "B", and about halfway along it you'll find 1 or 2 MORE ding(s) that look(s) like the ones in 3 above. 7) There's a large ding on the top of the F in "HALF DOLLAR" on the reverse. ====================== Any or all of these things COULD be significantly better, worse, more/less noticeable, etc, on the coin in hand.  Only you can be the judge of that. And, to be sure, ALL of them CAN be explained, perhaps, by things other than circulation. However...for ME, anyway, I'd need some fairly detailed explanation and re-education to call that a mint state or uncirculated coin. Hard for me to tell how much mint luster remains on this coin, from that photograph...but I'm going to presume there's a significant amount, otherwise it would not have been considered "uncirculated" at some point.  For me, there's a bit too many dings, marks, and wear spots to go anything above AU55, and possibly lower (perhaps as far down as an XF4x grade) depending on how it looks in hand. I could, of course, be in for the re-education I asked for above...so YMMV, certainly. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]

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