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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;SuperDave, post: 2321638, member: 1892&quot;]I&#039;ll take the implied challenge.</p><p><br /></p><p>The first coin is too dark for RB. It&#039;s a very old, very worn die pair. Many features are showing blurring from wear. I have no problem believing that I might think the coin Uncirculated, in hand. Maybe not, but we&#039;ll assume I do (otherwise I can see the argument is ridiculous the same as you <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> ). I see a few hints in these (tremendous) images to make me think it&#039;s Mint State.</p><p><br /></p><p>There are two small ticks in the obverse fields,&nbsp; one in front of the nose and one under ST, and that&#039;s about it. The reverse is poorer, three ticks in the O of ONE, one in the N, ticks in the N and T of CENT, and ticks in the N, E, A and C of USofA. I note nothing of real importance in the fields relevant to that grade.</p><p><br /></p><p>Now, contemplate how close I had to look to come up with that stuff, relate it to the pristine nature of the rest of the coin, and argue 66 if it&#039;s Mint State. I don&#039;t believe there&#039;s a viable argument.</p><p><br /></p><p>The second coin is a terrific strike from fresh dies, absolutely slaps you across the face, and is <b>drastically</b> undergraded. Condition Census for this coin is MS67, and there is to my mind no possible argument that this coin belongs among them. I&#039;ve seen worse in 68.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The unspoken question is, do we grade against a goal of perfection, or do we grade against <i>what that die pair is capable of at the moment of strike</i>? I do the latter whenever I can, and I think the first coin is very nearly as close to what the die pair could do as the second.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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