Do you have a Red Book? The quickest way to learning something is doing it, and then doing it again, and then again. I read somewhere that to be an expert in something, you had to have invested 10,000 hours in doing that very thing. That's roughly five years at a full time job (40 hours a week). I only point this out because I would rather you come to the table with a grade in mind, and ask opinions as to the accuracy. Guess the grade is one thing, grade this for me is another altogether.
Well i do have grades in mind but im usually totally off when it comes to grading, thats why i asked for opinions. Heres my opinions V nickel- VF Bust dime-AG Barber dime-F Seated Liberty-F Anyway now that i shared my opinions according to my unknowledgable(hopefully not for so much longer) mind. Please share your opinions, and make me look like a fool for my off the wall grading.
Nobody is here to try making you look like a fool. We're all here because we share the same love for this hobby. Part of the hobby is knowledge, both the pursuit and sharing. Now, with that said, if you'd like informed opinions on these coins, I would suggest posting much better pictures than these.
Looks like those 2x2’s had a rough life!! They been in them for a while...you need better lighting and a close up of the coin itself. If possible use a loop to help with pictures. I use on that I can attach to my phone to view the coin. I will not add my options to these coins because I have a lot more learning to do myself! Nice find!!
Get a Yeoman Red Book. Look up each coin type and read the description (grading guide) for that coin. It's just a guide and it will be the best way for you to learn how to grade. You grade the Liberty Nickel VF. For it to be a VF it MUST have the word LIBERTY as bold. From your photo it appears to have some, maybe all of LIBERTY. VG-8 Some letters of LIBERTY legible. F-12 All letters of LIBERTY legible. VF-20 LIBERTY must be bold, including the L. Don't push or change anything to get what you want. It is what it is and you can't change that. This is how to learn.
Myself, I accept that even in our 5-megapixel world, pictures are not the same thing as holding the coin. I like worn coins, too. They speak of trade and commerce. But, just by Blue Book prices, for what you paid for these four, you could have had one of them in VF or XF for $30 and it would be a nice addition to a modest collection. Where are you buying these? Do you have an ANA member dealer in your area? And I agree about the Red Book. "Buy the book before you buy the coin."
