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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Insider, post: 2633451, member: 24314&quot;]<b><span style="color: rgb(179, 0, 0)">This is the typical perfect coin you&#039;ll encounter in an advanced grading class.</span></b>&nbsp; Note the opinions of our expert dealers and collectors here range from VG to VF.&nbsp; How can that be?&nbsp; What is the correct grade?&nbsp; Actually, each of you is 100% correct because grading is subjective.&nbsp; That is not a weasel-out.&nbsp; It is 100% true and each of you that have given a reason for your grade is correct.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are some things to consider when grading this coin (remember, NO ONE HERE IS WRONG):</p><p><br /></p><p>1. The coin was struck in Denver.&nbsp; When the original coin dropped off the press it was probably (I&#039;m 90% sure) missing the tip of the horn.&nbsp; Now forget the reverse for a second.&nbsp; One member posted the obverse of a VF 25 from a grading site.&nbsp;&nbsp; Compare the details of that obverse with the OP&#039;s coin obverse.</p><p><br /></p><p>2.&nbsp; Everything in books and these online photo grade sites are to be used as <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255)">GUIDES</span>.&nbsp; They are not set in stone and very often have little to do with most of the coins we find in the &quot;real world.&quot;&nbsp; Does that make the commercial marketplace wrong?&nbsp; I&#039;ll put my money on the market makers and TPGS rather than photo guides.</p><p><br /></p><p>3.&nbsp; One member wonders when the horn does not matter (EDIT <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie14" alt=":angelic:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />).&nbsp; To paraphrase several <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255)">CURRENT</span> grading guides for VF Buffalo nickels: &quot;Point of horn is not always visible.&quot; &quot;Typically, in the marketplace the horn is not full.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>4.&nbsp; Many dealers insist on a full complete horn before they pay VF money.&nbsp; Nevertheless, look at what they SELL as VF.</p><p><br /></p><p>5.&nbsp; One of my favorite things to do as a YN in the 1960&#039;s (not much luck anymore today as dealers are more knowledgeable) was to purchase <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255)">fully lustrous, flatly struck</span>, Branch Mint Buffalo nickels (Unc&#039;s and Choice AU&#039;s) with <b><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255)">only a hint</span></b> of the horn&#039;s base visible that were graded G to VG and priced for a few dollars.</p><p><br /></p><p>6.&nbsp; EDIT&nbsp; Note: The luster in the field of the PCGS coin is missing on the OP&#039;s.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>By any grading guide the OP&#039;s coin is a FINE</b>.&nbsp; When I opened this thread and saw the first two opinions from [USER=73165]@Paul M.[/USER] and [USER=4920]@eddiespin[/USER] was VF-20, I thought way to go, you both nailed a very tricky coin.&nbsp; I almost closed the thread and moved on.</p><p>Wish I had. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie3" alt=":(" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>I am at the bottom of the VF-20 grade and IMO <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255)">the three of us</span> are just as correct as the opinions of Fine and VG. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie7" alt=":p" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /><img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /><img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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