Grade this Kennedy Half -- Another Date Added

keithdagen

Obverse

Reverse

Once the pic comes up, you can click on it again for a 1200dpi pic, very big though.

Slabbed by PCGS recently, what do you think the grade was? Braddick not allowed to guess.

Russ

I'll guess MS65, MS66 if the grader wasn't bothered by the ding in his cheek.

Russ, NCNE

cladking

My grade and thoughts exactly, Russ.

TomB

I like the reverse die clashing on the half dime. By the way, who's in the picture of the "class"?

keithdagen

I'm on the far right with the goatee -- it's a pic of a youth camp I volunteered at for my vacation this summer.

Cocoinut

I'll say an MS66. I don't care for the color, but I don't see any obvious marks.

Jim

tompkins

I'd say 64 or maybe 65, because of the ding in the cheek---hard to say how significant it really is, but the photo makes it look pretty bad.

Fairlaneman

Keith:

You TRICKED me with this Sort Of POLL. Geez first Poll in Ages. Put Some More Up !!!

Edit to Add Grade: The 63 in the Poll for Grades is Mine. Gash on Face ??? Gash a Merc like that and it will Be a AU Coin.

Ken

keithdagen

I have one on the Open Forum as to which runt annoys you more

Fairlaneman

Are You Keeping the Week End Festivites Going ?? Heck I'm Cooled Off and Almost All is Forgot. Don't Let LW know I said That.

Ken

andy007

Looks like a MS66-67 from the pic. Very nice strike, the shield looks very clean on the reverse also.

DHeath

MS66, despite the ding on the cheek. It's in a bad spot, but it is the only one visible, and the rest of the coin is very clean, particularly the neck, which PCGS loves. Funny toning though - it isn't one of those chocolate ones is it?

WWBillman

MS64, a ding on the cheek, in the hair, and what looks like a small scratch or scuff in the field behing the head.

HuliganRS

At first I saw MS-66 but after looking at the detail in the hair... It might be a 64... It almost looks like a weak strike that would prevent it from going GEM...

What's the grade...???

keithdagen

I'm not saying until tomorrow at the earliest, except that the coin is Braddick's, which is why he doesn't get to vote.

itsnotjustme

63 due to the cheek gash. Was that from the other gunman? (No poor taste intended)

relayer

I KNOW it's 64.

(because I graded it 65).

grip

I gave it a 63 do to the weak strike and ding.Al

Alltec

I'll go with a MS66. Color isn't great, but no significant marks.

Fairlaneman

Keith:

Fess Up to the Grade by the Time I get Home From Work. Could be Early Today as it is Suppose to Reach close too 100 Degrees here. Man thats Hot for the Willamette Valley here in ORYGONE !!

Ken

clevegreg

Looks AU58 on my monitor, looking forward to seeing the results.

Greg

Russ

Wait a minute, it's a Braddick coin! P01.

Russ, NCNE

braddick

<< <i>I'm not saying until tomorrow at the earliest, except that the coin is Braddick's, which is why he doesn't get to vote. >>



Keith- Scan the other one! I think it's prettier.

bit1work

I would say this is a 64 because of significant ding on the chin and a deep hair line about 1/4 down from the R of liberty.

keithdagen

I'll get the other one scanned as well -- this one is a lot more fun for grading purposes though.

DAM

I hate grading coins from pictures, but I'll try anyway.

My first impression is that it's AU. If not, I'd say MS64.

Talk about a spread!

Personally, I wouldn't want to be held responsible for a guess by looking at a picture.

keithdagen

The coin is in a MS-63 holder, but I should point out that the mark on the cheek is extremely shallow and barely visible to the naked eye.

The strike is sharp everywhere but the eagle's head, the toning makes it appear weak in areas. I'll comment more on the piece later.

keithdagen

OK, got wrapped up in some other stuff.

Coin has some great color on both sides. Pinks on the portrait, going into blues and then yellows for the obverse, and the reverse has more prominent reds/pinks fading into blues.

Shield and tail feathers are as nice as any MS-66 Kennedy I have seen. Lot of minor hits on the rim around the obverse are the major marks. My scan makes everything look bad at that magnification

I'm about to scan and post a second Kennedy, a 1964 date. Compare the two and see what you think.

keithdagen

OK, here's a 1964 Kennedy

Obverse

Reverse

Poll has been reset, so let's see what guesses you have for this one. I will say that many of the nicks on this pieces show as dark lines on the scan. The toning does a better job of hiding the marks.

grip

66 going by scanAl

Fairlaneman

Should be a 65 but I know You will Suprise Us.

braddick

Obviously I won't "guess" on this one.
Please remind me though- I've got a great story that goes along with this Kennedy when the grade is determined.

Fairlaneman

OK Teach Me on These Things. The One Below Looks Simiular too Your Last Picture. Am I missing Something ?? Also on the Lower Neck is that a Place that Does Not Strike Up Completely ?? I have another of these that Has Many Ticks in the Lower Neck area and it Looks like Planchet Roughness to Me where the Coin Was Not Struck Completely.

cointime

Keith,
I like the color and depth of the 1964 better. I give it a MS66 as long as no hair lines are present. Silvers reaction to the enviroment makes tones in so much more color that clad IMO.

Ken

keithdagen

The toning on this piece is a vivid neon. Very nice color on it.

Ken,

Looking at yours, very nice, scan a little small for me to grade, but it is similar quality, maybe MS-65 because some of the marks are pretty rough. In early Kennedies, the most important areas are the face/neck on the obverse, and the shield on the reverse. Many times, the difference in a real high-end piece will be the tail feathers, which are often muddy for this issue.

The ticks on the lower neck are found in so many coins that you would think that they were on the die. They are very common, and most coins I have seen have them.

cointime

Keith,
The areas you mentioned are very much a vocal point for viewing and grading. I have tried a couple times last year and got back 2 MS65's. I've got another one I'm waiting for a little more toning to set in, because of a couple small hairlines on the obverse cheek. Maybe you and Braddick can tell me what you think..Maybe a 66. The files are about 1.8mb 600 dpi

1964 obverse link

1964 reverse link

Maybe I will get up enough courage to send it in...Rejection on a coin that you feel is nice hurts so bad.

Braddick,
Nice halves, and I feel for you.

Ken

keithdagen

Upper right shield, is that a hit or a struck-thru fragment?

cointime

Kd,
It is a hit as well as in the neck of the eagle.

Ken

itsnotjustme

65 or 66. Please don't tell me 67!

grip

I think the 5 marks accross the head keeps it from a 6,depends on how big they are,Al

Cocoinut

Keith,

I give your '64 an MS66. I see a small tick on the shield, but other than that, it looks good. I've got a couple 66's that have more marks than yours.

Jim

Bcsican

Without reading everyones answers I say MS 65 it seems to be a nick on a focal area on the cheek....

keithdagen

ttt

keithdagen

OK, this one was a MS-66. Side by side, this one and the MS-63 are of very similar quality.

My firm belief is that the first piece should be in a MS-65 holder.

Maybe Braddick will now tell us his story on these coins.

braddick

The "MS63" was made out of a roll of 27 others with the exact toning. PCGS has graded seven and three are MS65's.
The MS66 was found, raw, at Long Beach and submitted to PCI. It came back MS64. On a "CrossAt AnyGrade" (I just wanted that toning authenticated!) PCGS deemed it MS66.
Rare and though upgrade!

keithdagen

Thanks for the story behind those coins. They were very cool in person.