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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;GDJMSP, post: 668891, member: 112&quot;]I hadn&#039;t read this thread until just now. But even based on the first pic supplied the first thing that went thru my mind is - that coin has been wiped. Now seeing the additional pic I&#039;m reasonably sure my first impression was correct.</p><p><br /></p><p>I agree with what Mark says about needing to see a coin in hand. However - and I think is true more times than not when you are wondering about a coin upgrading, even though all you have are pics to go by. When you are trying to figure out why the grade of coin is lower than your think it should be, your first impressions for that reason are usually correct.</p><p><br /></p><p>It is in cases like this that I am far more likely to trust the opinion of the graders when all I have is a picture to go by. You may think the reasoning doesn&#039;t follow then when I question if a coin is over-graded, but it actually does. For I am still trusting my eyes over theirs. Sure, I find that I may change my mind later based on additional pics or seeing the coin in hand from time to time. But the majority of the time I do not change my mind.</p><p><br /></p><p>If there is one about coin pics that I have found out over the years, it is that the picture often allows you to see what you missed with your eyes during an in hand exam. </p><p><br /></p><p>The real problem you face with pictures is that you usually have no idea if the pictures are what I call - honest pictures. By that I mean that most people tend to take pics, or I should say share pics, that show the coin in it&#039;s best light. In other words if a particular picture shows the hits, hairlines etc - flaws if you will, then those pics usually are not presented. They instead tend to present the pics that show the best aspects of the coin - not its flaws. This is usually true not only for collectors wishing their new acquistions, it is usually also true with auction pictures.</p><p><br /></p><p>Once you know this and understand it, it then becomes easier to interpret pictures and see the things that the picture only hints at. Yeah, you can read it wrong and misinterpret as well. But with practice you do that far less often and you will find that you are right more times than not.</p><p><br /></p><p>I guess you could say that I find reading pictures is an acquired skill just like grading coins is an acquired skill. And yeah, I know many will skoff at me for saying that - doesn&#039;t mean it isn&#039;t true though.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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