I'm hoping RLM and his merry band of top 10 graders might help me out here. I have a couple of PCGS 66 Lincolns and this one has fewer marks and better luster than either of them. My photos do not do it justice and most of the marks that you see in the photo are planchet related and not contact. Should I send it?
It looks to be rather low luster, but I believe that is your pictures. It is not the best strike I have seen, but I see nothing to keep it from a 66.
Thanks RLM. It's definitely my photos. I have a stack of these coins from a roll I just got sitting on my desk and they stand out like a sore thumb when it comes to luster versus the other coins sitting on my desk. I think it's got the best luster of any copper Cent I've ever owned, which say a lot for a '61-D. To top it all off, it's a RPM which given preliminary diagnostics I believe to be RPM-007. The coin pictured in the following photo is not the coin in the poll, but a lower grade specimen that came from the same roll.
I wouldn't pay 66 money for that coin... hell, if that's a 66, I've got a couple early 60's on my dresser right now that have to be 67's. I'd grade it at 64ish. Then again, I'm an amateur... I just don't believe those marks are from the planchet.
Like Rlm said, the strike isn't the best, as of the luster. The bust of Lincoln has me confused though, the rest of the coin looks great. Just the bust. Weak strike on Lincoln's hair and some scratches (minor) on a few parts. The reverse looks good though. I'm going to grade 65 ish reverse, and 64 obverse.
I think in trying to capture the luster I washed out any shadowing of the details on the head. The lighting was almost direct there. In hand the details are much sharper. Given that the '61D's had softer strikes, wouldn't the TPG take that into consideration?
jallengomez sent me one of his coins to look at. My first take was that it was a proof, but it was a Denver and it has way too many planchet nick left on it. However, it does have a mild cameo effect. I looked at my sets, and the 61-D have a similar appearance - all 3 of them. The 62-D's are the same and the 60-D's and 63-D's are similar, but not as pronounced. Has anyone of heard of anything on this order. Here are my pix. jallengomez's coin is always the one on the right. BTW, if the coin he sent me is not a 66, it is real close. The thing most likely to keep it down would be the strike, IMO.
I appreciate you taking a look at that coin and taking time to post the photos. That entire roll and the other rolls from the same source were all like that as far as that mild cameo appearance that you describe.
Generally....yes....except most of mine have full steps. That's one of my pet peeves with Memorials. My Memorial collection is very, very nice as I spent 3 years of hard work on it. During that time I hardly touched a wheat cent. There's quite a few that I need to submit. I'm pretty confident they will come in as the top grades. I even have one that I believe will be the highest grade known pop 1/0.
Too many contact marks to be a high grade coin. Check the obverse again and you will see these. But it is 1961-D RPM # 7.
