A Dime for Your Thoughts?

I'd like to present my new purchase and ask you to guess the grade. It is an 1893 Barber Dime and the acquisition is one step along my journey to build a toned 1893 P mint set. I also own a heavily toned 93P quarter and the 93 Columbian half so I have a ways to go!




The pictures are quite accurate and the coin has wonderful flashes of color that get me very excited. :hail:

Regarding the Barber pieces, here is what Cornelius Vermeule has to say on pages 86-87 of his Numismatic Art in America book:

"Of all American coins long in circulation, no series has stood the wearing demands of modern coinage so well as the half dollar, quarter dollar, and dime developed by the chief engraver at Philadelphia. Liberty's cap, incised diadem, and wreath of laurel were designed to echo all the depth and volume of her Olympian countenance.........On both sides the simple dignity of motto, legend, and denomination binds the pictorialism into a cohesive tondo. ......This wreath also exhibits its own freshness and sculptural activity: leaves, berries, and stems are alive with a carefully controlled sense of nature even when these coins have been worn nearly smooth, their outlines suggest the harmony of interior detail in careful planes of relief that make Uncirculated specimens a pleasure to contemplate."

OK, back to the original question, fellow CoinTalkers. What is your guess as to the PCGS grade?

 

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Really... marvelous coin. Ya gotta love the luster under the tone. It's impossible to grade from pictures. Looks like a little strike softness on the leaves left of the bow. I'm truly guessing... MS63.

 

Blast white coins - they're all alike. Every time you look at one, it's beautiful, but it looks the same way every time.

A nicely toned coin has character. Each one is different; with toned coins, any given coin looks a little different every time you gaze upon it. A unique appreciation, a fresh insight each time.

 

Softness in the laurel or wear? Don't take this the wrong way Cat, I'm no expert (far from it) and indeed this is a beautiful coin. Au-58

 

No problem, Mr. Green! I asked for guesses, knowing that it is very hard to grade from pictures. You could be right......but, then again, you could be wrong! (isn't that a Billy Joel song?) :goof:

 

And therin lies the story of my life (LOL).....

 

I think it's an exceptional 64 in a 65 holder for eye appeal. A screamer. The weakness of the reverse upper right is overtaken by the look. I 64'd it due to the rim hit, again on the reverse.

I'm a copper guy, thats just a guess.
Great coin !!:high5:

 

Looks very nice to me, I'd guess that it grades MS64.

However, based on an 1892 Barber Dime that I recently submitted with very similar toning, I really want to guess that PCGS called this one Genuine .91 Artifical Toning since they are so tight on toned coins lately (my 1892 was previously in a PCGS MS64 holder, but I cracked it and resubmitted it and now it's artificial??? whatever).

Regardless of the grade, that's a great looking 1893 and good luck with the rest of your set!!!!!!!!!

 

I expect that PCGS would grade this little beauty as 64. It's a very attractive coin.

 

I am going to guess 65 and would not be shocked if it were a 66.

 

A beautiful piece - I would say that although the picture may be decieving me with shadows telling my eyes I see wear I'm still gonna call it MS63.

 

A stunner....No evident contact marks, fingerprints, or smudges as far as I see. Definitely a 64/65 and nothing less.

 

Beautiful coin...toning, mint luster! It looks (from the pictures) as though there may be some very slight rubs on the highest points on the reverse...leaf tips, highest wheat grains, etc.

I'm new to Barber dimes so I apologized in advance...but I was thinking along the same lines as Greeny...Au-58.

 

Its so hard to tell from those photos with that toning. I'm looking at the reverse and I see what appears to be wear on the large leaf on the left side, which is one of the highest points on the back of the dime, but it could just be the toning that is throwing it off. On the obv the nose, lips, chin, and upper cheek show what could be rubs and the toning in the headband obscures the details of the hair. Based on those observations and other barbers I've seen the coin is an AU-58.

 

I'll guess MS64, due to what looks like minor disturbances on Liberty's cheek. Regardless of what the assigned grade is, however, that is a very attractive and original looking example.

 

Wow, very nice looking-- MS64?

 

I'm gonna call it a really nice 58 I just think there is too much going on on the cheek for me to mint state the coin.

 

At least AU-58. Hard to tell what's wear and what could be a weak strike. I know these are judged heavily by the detail left in the leaves, front and back. This has very good detail left in the leaves. Very nice.

 

We agree this time! A true gem Barber!!!

 

You know I'm not into silver pieces, but that dime is amazingly gorgeous! Very nice piece Cat!