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Message:: [QUOTE="kanga, post: 362832, member: 9270"]All sorts of issues touched on by your comments. 1. Grading has a LOT of subjectivity in it.There are rarely hard-and-fast rules. 2. There is no hobby-wide grading standards.Grading guides are "opinions", generally by a group of experienced numismatists. 3. The ANA "standards" are just the most widely used "opinions".Photograde is another.So is Brown & Dunn.And the Red Book.And the various TPG sites. 4. Since you are using the ANA guide, here's what I see.They are VERY vague about their description of "LIBERTY".Fine and Very Fine read much the same. 5. The way to avoid the "LIBERTY" difficulty is to grade the WHOLE coin.Look at the other elements mentioned in the ANA book.They also mention hair, cap, facial features, leaves and rim.And that's just on the obverse!Just like you shouldn't grade Buffalo nickels by the horn alone. 6. If you can find TPG graded Barbers in F and VF, examine them.A lot of experience went into those opinions. 7. Finally, beauty (and grade) are in the eyes of the beholder (and coin holder.)[/QUOTE]