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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 2343789, member: 19463&quot;]Stop telling people to read Doug&#039;s pages.&nbsp; He obviously does not know anything or he would be selling plastic boxes.&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie55" alt=":hurting:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />&nbsp;&nbsp; Most of his pages need updating but he does not know where to start.&nbsp; The grading pages really need work.</p><p><br /></p><p>I am disappointed in the lot of you for not mentioning the problem with that sample slab.</p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gibraltarcoins.com%2Fmedia%2Fcatalog%2Fproduct%2Fcache%2F1%2Fimage%2F800x800%2F9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95%2F4%2F1%2F4167106003-gc-03.73.jpg&amp;hash=2fa4a17279b11af490821a20ca6eaf4e" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>IMHO (but I am no expert on expensive coins) That is a wonderful coin that I would love to have in my collection AND if I owned it I would NOT take it out of that slab. Why?&nbsp;&nbsp; Notice that line on the label &quot;100 Greatest&quot; no. 16.&nbsp; Someone told the slabbers to identify that coin as the type #16 in the highly recommended book <b>100 Greatest Ancient Coins </b>by Harlan Berk.&nbsp; However, if you look at page 26 where we find #16 you will find that #16 is the SEA turtle not the land tortoise.&nbsp; Mr Berk did not list the land tortoise in the 100 and, again IMHO, also should have shown a backup land version on that page if he did not want to give it a separate number.&nbsp; However, I will point out that I did not write the book and each of us will have a different opinion on what the top coins are.&nbsp; I suspect that the slabbers just wrote on the label what they were told and did not care in the least that #16 is a different coin.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>For the record, I did post my 99 1/2 favorite coins (I&#039;m quite aware that I am more than half a coin behind Mr. Berk whom I respect greatly but I wanted a lot of coins on my list).&nbsp; Most, but not all, of Mr. Berk&#039;s hundred are very high grade but it is not condition that made those coins special.&nbsp; They are wonderful in so many ways and the vast majority of modern collectors would not appreciate most of those ways.&nbsp; Collect ancients for a while and you may understand.&nbsp; For example his #90, Noah&#039;s Ark (the coin was robbed - I would have put it higher) is a corroded fine.&nbsp; I suspect it was the best specimen he could get an image for use on that page (100).&nbsp; The best example of that coin I have seen has great surfaces and less wear but it has four holes.&nbsp; One of our regulars here on CT once mentioned not liking his example of #73, Sulla&#039;s Dream but he keeps it partly because his is the specimen in <b>100 Greatest</b>.&nbsp;&nbsp; This brings us to the question we each address in our own way.&nbsp; When the best known coin of a type is not perfect, can we stoop to owning it anyway?</p><p><br /></p><p>I stooped a lot in selecting my imperfect Favorites:</p><p><a href="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/favs.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/favs.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/favs.html</a></p><p>Fewer of my 99 1/2 have any claim to being EF than fall at VG or lower.&nbsp;&nbsp; I own 100 coins that might be considered EF but most of them have no chance of making my Favorites list.&nbsp; My answer to your original question is VF.&nbsp; I feel fortunate to have VF coins if we must use the worthless letter grade system.&nbsp; Some of our most high minded members here have proposed a new grading system which really just formalizes what I consider to be the proper two level grading scheme: &quot;I like it&quot; and &quot;I don&#039;t&quot;.&nbsp; If you don&#039;t like it, don&#039;t buy it.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Here is another point:&nbsp; Enjoy your coins.&nbsp; If you only have them because they are high grade or high dollar and they do not move you to learn more, I strongly suggest you will be happier collecting Proof Sets.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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