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Message:: [QUOTE="Cherd, post: 8508437, member: 24754"]I certainly agree that the die defects detract from the aesthetic appeal of the coin, particularly the blotch in the eye as that is the focal point of the obverse. This does lead me to question the star designation. However, so far as I understand, die defects would not affect the "Mint State" or "Surface" designations, so I do not particularly take issue with those values. I could imagine that die quality could be something that is taken into account for "Strike", and if this is the case then that grade might be questionable. The question that I am left with is, "How are the star designations determined?". If they are based on a consistent set of standards across all coin types, then it seems as though this coin shouldn't qualify. However, if they are based on direct comparisons to other coins of that particular type (top 10% for example), then maybe it makes sense that this coin got a star. I haven't put any effort into examining other examples of this coin, so I do not have useful perspective on whether this might be the case. In the end, I'm just guessing at how these things are determined, so if anyone has additional expertise or insights then I'd love to learn more. At this point, I can imagine a criteria scenario where this grade makes complete sense, yet I can imagine another where it seems pretty bogus.[/QUOTE]