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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;SuperDave, post: 2603630, member: 1892&quot;]Caveat: What I know about grading Ikes fits into a thimble.</p><p><br /></p><p>It was difficult for me to consider this coin Mint State at first. With other issues, once the number of little hits reaches some subjective tipping point, you then begin assuming it&#039;s circulated simply because there&#039;s no way for that many hits to accumulate without the coin being out in circulation. There&#039;s no_way I&#039;d call a Morgan with this many hits Uncirculated, for instance.</p><p><br /></p><p>Looking closer, at the spots where one might expect circulation rub to first manifest - not that I know those specific areas on Ikes, but extrapolation from knowing where coins in general show circulation wear isn&#039;t inaccurate - I begin believing the coin is Mint State. The edge of the ear and jawline seem like they&#039;d lose their original finish quickly, as does the raised feature forming the top line of the eagle&#039;s head and wings. Neither seem to show any dulling. Further, there&#039;s a big reeding hit in the tailfeathers which still looks as sharp as the moment it happened, and in circulation I&#039;d expect that to snag any finger or pocket material within reach and begin wearing down quickly.</p><p><br /></p><p>OK, so it&#039;s Mint State. Stepping completely away from &quot;how TPG&#039;s grade Ikes,&quot; since I just looked at a few and walked away rather bemused (being generous), I couldn&#039;t offer this one much more than 64. When contemplating a grade, I have to think that, since Ikes are essentially completely flat, offering very little difference in relief by comparison to a more complex design (again, I&#039;m trying to be generous here <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> ), one must sort of grade them &quot;on a curve.&quot; There are no high points to deflect random impacts. It&#039;s like comparing the surface of the Moon, where there&#039;s nothing to stop a meteor, to the surface of the Earth with active geologic and weather patterns wearing and masking impacts quickly.</p><p><br /></p><p>So, much as I&#039;d like to say 61-62, 64 it is. Wouldn&#039;t surprise me if the slab says 65, maybe even with a star. With all of the above said, it&#039;s a coin with a <b>ton</b> of eye appeal between the delicate color and no major individual hits (aside the one in the tailfeathers, which is camouflaged to an extent). The second set of images is probably much more like what you&#039;d see holding the coin in-hand at your desk.</p><p><br /></p><p>I couldn&#039;t see myself collecting these below 66 or better.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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