Think this Mercury Dime makes ms65?

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by swagge1, Apr 18, 2012.

  1. Merc Crazy

    Merc Crazy Bumbling numismatic fool

    Okay? That just backs up what we said... Luster > Contact marks. I've seen some really ugly high-grade Mercs... this coin could be a 64FB, it could be a 66FB... it all depends on the luster... and also whatever the crap that is next to IGWT... that could be the most serious issue on the coin.
     
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  3. swagge1

    swagge1 Junior Member

    Very lively discussion. I appreciate the input from everyone here. Since Merc Crazy offered first I'd like to ship it to him for quality pics and an expert opinion. I still want to eventually send it off to NGC bc I recently joined the ANA and I can direct submit. Merc Crazy, If you PM me your address I can ship it out to you tomorrow with a money order to cover return shipping.
     
  4. Merc Crazy

    Merc Crazy Bumbling numismatic fool

    PM sent. I'll get the pics up ASAP.
     
  5. BUncirculated

    BUncirculated Well-Known Member

    Hello?

    You should read what I said in my post which you quoted. It was a suggestion to the OP to get a better picture using a loupe over camera lens technique.

    My photos were posted to show him how it works.
     
  6. Lehigh96

    Lehigh96 Toning Enthusiast

    Looks MS65/66 FB to me. Luster baby, luster!
     
  7. Merc Crazy

    Merc Crazy Bumbling numismatic fool

    I did some digging around on his server since he didn't protect the directory from being browsed;

    [​IMG]


    I also found this;

    [​IMG]


    Holy crap, what a buy, assuming it was any time recently... I would have been all over that.
     
  8. kookoox10

    kookoox10 ANA #3168546

    I'm sure MrBrooklyn would appreciate you popping his smoking gun like that Merc lol. And that 36-s is an absolute monster for the price. I've seen coins like that sell for over $100 easy.
     
  9. Merc Crazy

    Merc Crazy Bumbling numismatic fool

    If I saw a merc that clean with luster like that, and for that price, I'd be breaking out the credit card and picking over that dealers inventory with a fine toothed comb.. that's a $700 coin. MrB, tell us the story behind it!

    If he doesn't want me digging around he should protect his server. :p
     
  10. swagge1

    swagge1 Junior Member

    Merc Crazy, I sent it out to you today insured by USPS. You should receive it by Monday they said. Thank you so much and I look forward to seeing the pictures... and getting the coin back too LOL!

    -Scott
     
  11. Lehigh96

    Lehigh96 Toning Enthusiast

    The grade on that coin surprises me a little bit. Based on the photo that I saw, the marks on the focal area look significant enough to limit the grade to MS66. My guess is that they are not as severe as that photo is making them appear. The alternative is that the coin is low end for the assigned grade.
     
  12. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    If I wanted it locked up, it would be locked up. Anyone is welcome to browse it. When I collected Merc, i didn't collect them less than FB67. That being said, the one i purchased for 37.50 is questionable if split band and we had a long thread on cointalk about it at the time.

    Ruben
     
  13. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    that was not a 700 dollar coin. I think I paid about 80 dollars for it.
     
  14. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    [​IMG]
     
  15. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member






    [​IMG] [h=2]Coin Collecting at the Safir House
    Mercury Dimes[/h]
    [​IMG]
    [HR][/HR] Mercury Dimes, also known as Liberty Head Dimes, is the classic 20th century coin which as come to standout represent much of American coinage. In some regards, it is the vision fulfilled of the overhaul in coinage designs began under the Teddy Roosevelt administration at the turn of the century. The design was created by Alfred A Weinman, the creater of the Walking Liberty Half Dollar. As with the Walking Liberty Half. the Libery Head Dime is a Neo-Classical design and the likeness of the Liberty to the Mythological Apollo is not just coincidental. The resulting hedonist reference was enourmously popular with the public and then adopted by by many comercial institutions, spreading the fame of the design even further. The Mercury Dime mottif was carved and molded into hundreds of banks across the nation. The image also became famous in the "March of Dimes" campaign, championed by President Franklin Roosevelt until his death.
    Dimes, given their size, make for coins which are very senstive to the slightest imperfection in the strike or damage. A good magnifying glass is necessary to make any credible attempt at grading, or to appreciate these little gems. We have aquired just a few coins to date, and the first one caused immediate controversy. The Mercury Dime reverse has a rather odd reeded and axe design with a lot of subtle details. The reeds are bounded together with rode or bands. Strikes with full bands are highly prized.
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    This very nice little 1936 S dime which was purchased for a about 30 dollar in a local Brooklyn coin shop was marked on the 2X2 in which the coin was sold as being Full Bands, without arches. Upon bringing it home, we photographed it and then put the pictures on the net, asking what others thought of the grade. The question occurs is whether or not the coin is actually full banded, with the focus on the middle two bands on the reed.
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    Further shots were inconclusive, although it seems that the coin was not Full Bands, despite being a very distinct strike. Furthermore, in the light of the photographs, the reverse of the coin shows die polish which drops the grade a little more. Although these polish lines on the fields of the dime are barely vissible with the eye, they stand out with the magnification.

    Finally, the reeds themselves have been blown up under magnification. These photographs seem to conclude that the coin was not full reeds, although it is very close.
    [​IMG] Bottom reeds (upside down)
    [​IMG] Middle Reeds
    [​IMG] Middle Reeds
    [​IMG] Top Reeds

    So as all this happening the taste developed to aquire another dime, one that was more clearly Full Banned. After much searching and consideration, this coin was aquired.
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Yet another 36
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    When looking at these photos we forget the scale of these coins. Mercs are very small and here is a good image to give you an idea of the scale. [​IMG]
    Larger image on the keyboard
    He is a 42 graded slab MS67
    [​IMG][​IMG]
    Here is a very decent circulating 1917 Dime which nearly has Split Bands on the reverse. It is an excellent strike. [​IMG] [​IMG]
    This is a toned Merc 1945 that was slabbed. Not pretty toning but a high grade coin
    [​IMG]

    [HR][/HR] Our modest collection generally contains the following coins types. Click to see these examples show below including photography: Circulated US Silver Coins prior to 1964 Ruben Safir's Front Page
    Coin CollectionGold Coins - Not too many Morgan Silver Dollars Peace Silver Dollars Large Cent Coppers Seated Half Dollars Buffalo Nickels Mercury (Liberrty Head) Dimes Standing Libery Quarter Walking Liberty Half Dollars Barber Half Dollars Barber Quarter Dollars Franklin Half Dollars Flying Eagle Cents Modern American Silver Eagle uncirculated mint coins and proofs Eisenhower Clad and Silver Dollars Sacawagea Golden Dollars Modern Silver and Clad Proof Sets Modern Silver and Clad 2008 Commorative Bald Eagle Series Lincoln Cents and Wheat Backs Jefferson Nickels Roosevelt Dime Washington and Washington State Quarters Kennedy Half Dollars Modern Foreign Coins from Outside The United States
     
  16. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    [​IMG] - different species
     
  17. areich

    areich America*s Darling

    Hello


    That 1936 is a nice coin. Nice strike amd tone.


    Amanda
     
  18. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    They can make a delivery in the Poker room?
     
  19. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    There are so many coins posted now on this thread that I've lost track complete of what we are talking about.
     
  20. mrbrklyn

    mrbrklyn New Member

    There are no marks on the front of the coin. The back has a very small bag mark on the stem which you believe is a focal point. I can not concur with that.

    Ruben
     
  21. areich

    areich America*s Darling

    Hello

    Is it or isn't it?

    Amanda
     
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