Post your NGC STARs - and a little history

I agree the obverse is very nice, but what does the reverse look like? Remember, a coin has to be PL on both sides to get the PL designation. If only one side meets the criteria then it gets a star.

 

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And @Mainebill

Here is the reverse:




I have a nice set of San Fransisco sisters that I frequently compare:


IMO:

obverse - the mirrors on the 79s are deeper, cleaner, and further than the 81s DPL. My only complaint about the 81s is there is no contrast... the whole coin is straight up mirror. The cameo on the 79s is striking.

reverse - the mirrors on the 79s are more than the 80s, but easily less than the 81s.

So why no PL? No clue. I have read the graders can get really picky and wont issue a PL if a small section of the mirror has some haze on it. Maybe that exists on it? If it’s there, it’s unnoticeable to the unaided eye. (edit: after looking at the pics... maybe between the E in One and D in Dollar. Would that hold back a PL on the sticker?) I picked it up for $109 and almost felt like I was stealing it.

So interestingly, I also have a 78s that I consider a step-sister to these. It’s a straight 64 in a PCGS holder. The mirrors on both sides are WAY better than the 80s. WAY.

 

Well, here is my first attempt at photographing a semi-PL coin. This one is currently in an MS-67* holder. I also tried to photograph a fully PL stell cent tonight, and it proved to be a challenge as well.

 

Not going to lie, these are really tough to photograph. Here's mine, MS-64*

 

You certainly have more experience with them I do and from my experiences thus far it truly is a challenge. I also imaged a 1943 S cent in a 64 PL holder and that was even more difficult. Very nice coin by the way. I like the toning paired with the mirrored fields.

 

If you show me yours, I'll show you mine.

 

Fair enough, I am not 100% satisfied with these images, but here is what I have so far. This one is in a 64PL holder.

 

I especially like the obverse on that one. Here's mine, 66PL:

 

I like the streak of color on the reverse of your coin. That adds a little extra character to an already extraordinary coin. The contrast between the primary device and the field is substantially stronger on the obverse than the reverse of both of our coins. Is this typical for PL steel cents?

 

I don't think PL steel cents are common enough to say that anything is "typical" for them. The rainbow crescent on the reverse makes this one of my favorite 20th century PLs. This one has the deepest mirrors of any I've seen in hand, and is the only one I've seen with hints of cameo contrast. It is not uncommon for PL's to have some cameo on one side or the other. Obviously, the most attractive are those with cameo on both sides, but you don't see those often on anything except Morgans.

 

Fair point, I was just curious given your experience with PL coins. I would love to check out your collection in person. Have you ever considered an exhibit at a major show? I imagine this would be a popular topic and very educational for those of us with less experience.

 

Thank you for the encouragement! I plan to experiment with different light setups for the PL steel cent. I still have a lot to learn about numismatic photography but I have greatly enjoyed the journey so far.

 

For Morgans it has to do with the date. If it's a date that has a lot of prooflike, the bar is raised for what gets the designation, especially DPL. If it's a date with few prooflikes, the bar is considerably lowered. I do not agree with this practice at all, it's either prooflike or it isn't, but that's how they do it.

 

These images are not mine, and it will likely be some time before I get the chance to take my pictures, but I wanted to share my recent addition. This one is in a 67* holder.

 

I finally got around to photographing this one.
1944 S NGC MS-67*

 

It is a nice Jefferson, but I'm scratching my head, why does that coin have a star?

 

I worried my pictures did not accurately portray this, and it seems like your question confirms my concern. I believe this coin received the star designation because of the extremely intense luster. Even for a 67, this coin will nearly blind you at the right angle.