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Message:: [QUOTE="physics-fan3.14, post: 2571769, member: 19165"]It isn't, necessarily, but it is a key area. Generally speaking, if the Liberty is full, the rest of the coin will probably be VF-ish (you have to verify the reverse as well, of course). Low grade circulated coins are graded by the wear on the high points - the headband just happens to be the more important (and more immediately obvious) high point on the obverse. It's really easy to count the letters of Liberty and get a really quick, pretty good estimate of the grade. For many circulated grades on many series, there is a key point or detail that must be present for it to achieve a certain grade: for VF Barbers (all series), the Liberty must be full. Seated Liberty coins are often dependent on the Liberty on the shield. And so on.  You start to run into problems with this approach when strike is taken into consideration. I generally argue that strike is a lesser concern on VF and below coins (at that point, the distinction between strike and wear becomes difficult. It is all manifest as missing detail - and that is a negative no matter the cause). However, specialists in a series will know which dates are usually poorly struck, and may be more lenient with them. Key dates will also often get a slide. I disagree with both of these approaches, but be aware that the TPGs practice market grading and will do this.[/QUOTE]