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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dimeguy, post: 1171165, member: 19855&quot;]Ok, here&#039;s what I&#039;ve done...I ordered two typical sets of, &quot;1959-2010 BU Cents&quot; from ebay just to feel the waters, get my feet wet in the copper/Lincoln Memorial Cent world. I&#039;ve been going through them and I have a few, probably overly simplistic questions. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>First, here&#039;s a coin where I learned my cent anatomy: </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx292/dimeguy_2010/cointalkquestions005.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx292/dimeguy_2010/cointalkquestions008.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>On the obverse I notice high areas of the cheek bone, beard, and hair. Fine details noted in the corners of the jacket, beard hair, and facial lines. I figured the more circulated a cent becomes, the more flattened these high areas would become and the more dulled the fine lines of the jacket and face become....right? For MS grades, I&#039;m looking for more luster and less markings in the field with bolder letters. On the reverse I notice the pillars and steps are hallmark spots for wear, especially being in the middle of the coin where most put their fingers. The details of the bushes and steps seem to vary however and I&#039;m still gaining a feel. Again, look for strong details of minute structures and less contact marks for those MS grades. (At least, that&#039;s how I&#039;m assuming the grading would work, so correct me if I&#039;m wrong or missing a vital aspect)</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Now, let&#039;s look at something a little more different:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx292/dimeguy_2010/cointalkquestions014.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This is a reverse of a 1983 D cent. I have two minimal questions regarding this cent...first the steps. This cent has fairly good steps. Does separation of a step by a contact mark deminish the grade...is there a full step designation for the LMC? Secondly, I&#039;m seeing wear on the upper right corner/section of the monument. I am assuming the completion of the details along the upper portion of the monument and above the pillars factors greatly into the grade of a MS coin, correct, as less evident detail shows less strike or more wear?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>And then there&#039;s this piece...</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx292/dimeguy_2010/cointalkquestions018.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It looks to me as the obverse has grease-filled effect. Liberty, In God We Trust, and the last 1 in the date are all faint. Lincoln....hard to say but I&#039;m leaning toward that grease filled die as if it&#039;s wear, it&#039;s uneven when comparing to the reverse...seems odd to me or am I just imagining things?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx292/dimeguy_2010/cointalkquestions023.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The major thing I want to point out on the reverse is the steps. Some cents have steps all the way up, others, looks like there&#039;s a separation to where there are two levels of steps. Is this a typical design change for the LMCs or is it a result of wear? If it were wear, I would think that the steps levels would be more blended globally, yes?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Then, a little more modern:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx292/dimeguy_2010/cointalkquestions030.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx292/dimeguy_2010/cointalkquestions034.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>First, is it acceptable to compare/attempt to grade when composition is different? Can I compare strike qualities of this 2008 to that of a 1959 or is that faux pas as mint processing may have changed? The reason I ask is simply because of the beard. A lot more detail is present on the 2008 beard than in any of the coppers I have. Second question I have regarding modern cents would be concerning those black dots. What are they and what caused them? They are more typical from modern cents as I have them on obverse and reverse from 2004-2008 for both of these sets. Is this a result of some sort of mint finishing or washing process?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Thanks for bearing with me as I learn and for putting up with my silly questions over a &quot;simple&quot; series. I did order Lange&#039;s guide to Lincoln Cents, most notably because I enjoyed his Mercury Dime book, but it was on backorder, then retraced....long story short, it&#039;s in the mail. Again, much appreciative of your help.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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