Focal point of each coin type - What's the first area you look at?

BryceM

I'd love to hear what others think. I'll give a couple examples to get things started. Hits or blemishes in these areas are especially significant. Add some secondary areas if you'd like.

SLQ - Liberty's right leg (viewer's left), the head and shield are also important.
Peace dollar - Liberty's cheek, then the body of the eagle.
Indian cent - ?
St. Gaudens $20 - ?
Walker - ?
Mercury Dime - ?
Buffalo Nickel - ?
Keep adding to the list....

jughead1893

Great idea for a thread.Im a Morgan guy so I like a nice clean cheek and well struck breast feathers

Che_Grapes

Yes for Morgan and peace the high points and cheek area on the face are where I look first because I collect UNC coins

PerryHall

The first thing I look at when examining a coin is the label on the slab.

gumby1234

WLH the sun is a prime focal area. Hits there draw your eye right to them.

Walkerfan

Morgans-cheeks on obverse and eagle's breast on reverse.
Walkers-thumb, right facing obv. field, skirtlines in central obv,, eagle's breast and trailing leg on reverse.

jedm

I like Barber quarters and I seem to notice the bridge of the nose first; then, because of the grade that I choose to collect I check out the LIBERTY in the headband.
On large cents which is my other weakness, I look for surface quality first an foremost; next, the amount of hits on the portrait.

Elcontador

Re Morgans, check the hair just above the ear. If it's doesn't seem to be crisply defined, see if coin was minted in New Orleans. If not, it may not be an Unc. If so, see if you can discern a luster break there.

Jzyskowski1

The fields on proof coins. The cheeks on those that apply ( like Morgan’s)

bolivarshagnasty

Jefferson--- jaw line and monticello building on reverse
St. Gaudens--- leg and knee, head, torch and rays on reverse
Mercury---face and bands on reverse
Lincoln---head area and ONE CENT on reverse (also look for thin IGWT indicating early strike)

batumi

@gumby1234 said:
WLH the sun is a prime focal area. Hits there draw your eye right to them.

I agree, though I am partial to the hand-especially on pieces usually weakly struck in that area such as the S mints in the 1940's.

WingedLiberty1957

if you are collecting a full set by date and mint mark ... I like it when those numbers and letters are really well struck and easily discernible. More of an issue with circulated coins. Toning can sometimes help with making things easier to see.

Onastone

The first area I look at? I look at the date and then unfortunately I am drawn to look at marks, scratches, digs, and blemishes.
Then if there aren't many negative marks, I'll look at the eyes, facial features, letters, and hopefully luster. I guess it can't be helped, picking up a nice coin and immediately looking at a huge gauge in the nose or cheek.

ricko

I am drawn to strike and luster first... then look for dings, cuts, scratches, hairlines, tarnish.... Most coins have a prime focus area, and certainly that also is important to me. However, I am a 'whole coin' collector... so the entire coin must please me. The exception might be that it is a flaming good deal or rarity. I may be a tad more forgiving in such cases. Cheers, RickO

Catbert

@ricko said:
I am drawn to strike and luster first... then look for dings, cuts, scratches, hairlines, tarnish.... Most coins have a prime focus area, and certainly that also is important to me. However, I am a 'whole coin' collector... so the entire coin must please me. The exception might be that it is a flaming good deal or rarity. I may be a tad more forgiving in such cases. Cheers, RickO

Surely “tarnish” must be first and foremost for you dear ricko!

ricko

@Catbert ... Actually in a way, you are correct, since I will usually just pass by tarnished coins without any special attention. Exceptions could be for a singular rarity or special coin I may be seeking (not very often). Cheers, RickO

Randoms

Seated liberty dimes always the head. If circulated then I check out the center and the top of the shield.

Fairlaneman

Mercury Dime. Complete Luster both sides including the rim. Obverse-Cheek and the hair just below the wing.
.

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Reverse. Band area and where the Axe sharpened part meets the whole head. Like the see a sharp line there.
.

Ken

Crypto

Cool Topic, Place holder for trade dollar after work
Any coin
1: Luster + mint surface % should be first and foremost analyzed.

bigjpst

Typically I look at the date first for overdates and repunching on bust seated and world coins. Because I mostly collect vf-xf seated, the shield and the strap on Liberty’s right shoulder are next.

1Bufffan

On Buffalo Nickels I first look at the Native Americans Cheeks to look for any contact marks or nicks, next look at Liberty for distance from rim and is it clear, check hair and feathers on obverse also for any marks. Next I flip over to the Reverse, look for Full horn and any wear on Hair on shoulder of Bison next move to Tail to look for definition , Check lettering and Mint Marks. Love the Series, love all the comments and pictures on the Forum!

HoldTheMayo

Cheek for Peace/Morgan and trying to avoid any big chatter to the field left of the cheek. IMO it's really distracting.

erwindoc

Washington quarter: My eyes are drawn to the cheek bone, forehead and neck then the fields on the obverse; eagles breast on the reverse.

Smudge

Unfortunately I have to first look at the price to see if it is even possible.

Nic

Eye appeal.
Luster.
Fields.
Central high points.
Makes no difference what type.

lkenefic

Draped Bust 1/2 Cent... since I was literally just looking at a bunch of them...

1. Color. If an early copper piece is too dark, it's a bit of a turn-off for me but not totally a deal breaker. For this issue, I'm looking for a medium brown color. Red/orange, indicating cleaning, is a deal breaker.
2. Surfaces. Clean surfaces free of pits, corrosion, or spots. Depending on the grade, contact marks come into play. A deal-breaker on surfaces is if there's something in the obverse field in front of Liberty. I figure if Ms. Liberty is looking at it in perpetuity, I'll be looking at it for as long as I own it! This is especially true of hairlines on surfaces.
3. Strike. Many early copper pieces suffer from a weak strike and die longevity comes into play too. That said, retained cuds, die cracks, etc. give coins from this era a unique character... which is why I like them...
4. Details. I was mainly looking for VF-AU coins, On this particular issue, I look at remaining hair detail on the upper lock of hair down to the shoulder. If there's good detail on the shoulder and into the drapery, that kicks it over the VF range and more into the XF-AU territory. On the reverse, I'm looking at ribbing in the leaves and details on the knot.
5. Price. ...and now we get a large dose of reality...

crazyhounddog

Buffalo nickels is the series I primarily collect and am most versed on. The focal area for me when looking for wear would be the hipbone and flank area of the left rear leg of the Bison. If this shows any flatness I then look for rub versus a weak strike. After that it’s luster followed by strike and how many hits or blemishes I can see that might distract from the coins beauty.

jedm

@lkenefic said:
1. Color. If an early copper piece is too dark, it's a bit of a turn-off for me but not totally a deal breaker. For this issue, I'm looking for a medium brown color. Red/orange, indicating cleaning, is a deal breaker.
2. Surfaces. Clean surfaces free of pits, corrosion, or spots. Depending on the grade, contact marks come into play. A deal-breaker on surfaces is if there's something in the obverse field in front of Liberty. I figure if Ms. Liberty is looking at it in perpetuity, I'll be looking at it for as long as I own it! This is especially true of hairlines on surfaces.

Great topic for a thread, and also some really good responses. Just sorta wanting to bump this to the top for the weekend to see if more folks will share their opinions.

Type2

I’m a strike guy, if it has luster even better. I look at the device then the fields if the hair is there then the rest will be there as well. Weak hair weak strike or soft strike, It works for me. But that’s just me dumb Type2 thinking.

BustDMs

I glance at the WHOLE coin first to see if there are any distracting marks that I can not live with.

I then determine the eye appeal and surface quality without magnification.

Next I look at the entire coin with my loupe beginning at 12:00 and progressing around the coin in concentric circles until I have viewed both sides.

I then either confirm my unmagnified opinion or edit them based on my observations.

I assign the coin two “grades” of 1-10 quality for purchase with an A, B or C surface quality grade.

Generally a coin needs to be 8B or better for consideration. Exemptions are made for extremely rare die marriages, die states or errors.

BryceM

For me, a clean cheek on a Peace dollar is critical. Some people obsess about clean feathers on the eagle, but that's slightly
secondary to me.

pursuitofliberty

After looking at the whole coin, scanning for noticeable marks and general eye appeal to me (color, quality of luster and surfaces, apparent originality), I take a very similar approach to Brad @BustDMs in studying the coin.

For the first scan, prior to magnification, that usually goes like this for Capped Bust Halves;

Obverse - from the Eye to the Cheek and Jaw, and into the Left Field ... then the Neck and top of Bust, across the Bow and to the date to Date before up into the Curls and Right Field before coming back over the Cap and considering strike, rim, denticles, centering and Stars

Reverse - it's usually Shield, Neck and Wing and Feathers first, then into the Beak and surrounding Fields ... then the Motto, before circling back across the Arrows, Claws and Leaves and checking the Legend while also considering strike rim, denticles and centering

ReadyFireAim

@BryceM said:
St. Gaudens $20 - ?

Nose/face
Hard pass if there is ANY damage in that 1/8" diameter area. I don't care how many gold CAC stickers are on it.