Is it just me or does sending your off your coins to PCGS really piss you off most of the time The toned one is a66+ and the latter is a 68+
66+ is a "Crap" grade? I would imagine it's a combo of strike and specifically this area shows some hits that jump out to me that probably held it back from a higher grade: (unless this is just breaks in the toning skin?) Very pretty coin overall, I like it a lot.
Thanks for you input. If strike is an issue why did the 68+ get a that grade. If you examine the reverse the O in “One is worn towards the top. Mine, the toned One is the way the O should be, no wear. This is why I get so frustrated with PCGS. The inconsistency is really evident.
Sorry, definitely the problem I think. I did look at a few hundred of these before I got mine, so I'm pretty familiar with these.
I would think that the ghosting on the reverse should impact the grade. I consider it to be defective. Just my opinion.
I'm not actively collecting the "steel cents", but my father had about 500+ steel cents. When he died, he left his coins to me and my brother. I've gone through my half of them. There are a few that are nice. They are all placed in a 2x2 and are carefully stappled. My brother put all of his in a huge store pickle jar. I've tried to buy them from him, but "no dice." He got half of the coins, but due to distance, it prohibitive to just drop by after work. I live about 40 miles east of Raleigh, North Carolina and my brother lives somewhere in California. I made a couple of trips to California, but now that my brother is my only sibling left, I have to interest to go to visit him. Oh, well!.....
It’s definitely nice and a grade of 66+ isn’t crap. There are a few minor imperfections that helped it get that grade.
The toning isn't helping the grade. Original mint luster factors in. The 68+ looks like it was minted today and is pure white. I'm not offering an opinion other than they do factor luster into the final grade. You also have a spot by the S in States on the reverse and a couple tiny specks above Liberty on the obverse. A 68 would require absolutely clean and clear fields.
What you are seeing on the O in ONE is not wear. It's a strike issue. The toned coin has less luster than the one that graded higher. Both coins are really nice but the second one is clearly a higher grade.
Toned 1943’s are the steel equivalent to a BN copper. These are scarce in 67 and non existent in MS68. Luster, as mentioned by @ldhair , plays a huge part in how these are graded.
My eye was drawn to what looks like a significant scratch that crosses the left wheat stem and runs halfway into the rim. Or maybe you just caught a grader who agrees with Doug's opinion that die cracks (11 and 4 on reverse, across shoulder on the obverse) should detract from a coin's grade.
Thats a die crack, Die stage and die cracks are definitely considered when these are graded. The 68 is definitely a sharper looking coin. The surfaces even show some early die polishing. It must be the lighting, but the 68 also seems to show some flatness on the cheek and jaw.
A better comparison might have been to compare your coin against a 68+ from the same mint instead of the Philly mint. Depending on the year a 65 from one mint can be completely different from a 65 from another mint. Here is your coin compared to one of the 68+’s from the same mint. Looking at these two you have a valid complaint, though seeing both in hand might tell a different story. Photos can and do play tricks on the eyes and how the brain process what they see.
It looked incuse to me, but maybe you're right. That's the first time I've seen a die crack stop in the middle of the rim like that, though.
I was looking at that crack again, I wonder if in hand it might actually connect to the A. The one that runs from the rim thru the U to the N and down to the top of the E. After looking at the Op's coin again. I really like the die stage. It's a cool coin IMO @MArkus B
