I've got an 1883 Liberty nickel (w/o cents) that looks pretty nice except that by one of the stars, at the end of one of the points, there is a pit. The coin is really sharp and well struck on the obverse and the small scratch on the face shows up waaaay better in the scan than on the coin, as a matter of fact unless you hold it at a certain angle you can't see it at all with a loupe. The coin has great luster and I'm guessing it's an MS, so how did the pit get there? Also anybody help me on the grade? http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jvh99/album?.dir=/f89d
My guess would be after-mint damage, hit with a pointed object. It's not as distracting to me as the nick at the top left of the "V". Location really does matter. Are those hairlines on the reverse as obvious on the coin as they are on the picture?
Hi, I looked at the "pit" with a pair of "400" reading glasses and two loupes together. Because there is a pit and then a sort of a small vally that runs down to the hair I don't see it being a sharp object type of damage, I realize that it is impossible to tell without the coin in hand, and I'm not arguing, it just doesn't look like something sharp hit it. Naturally the scanner picks up every flaw and really highlights it. With number 400 reading glases the "pit" is barely recognizable and the nick on the "V' is hardly noticable unless the light hits it just right. The hairlines don't show at all and the general appeance is white (not blast white) with great luster and excellent cartwheelling.
[/Q Sometimes too much magnification is not good...sometimes less it best. The nick on the V is what will get you in the end I think... As for the grade...it has a good strike...and a scan doesn't show luster...so I would say it would NET grade AU...MS details and NET AU.... Speedy
