Non-Proof Walker Half Dollars - Post your FULLY STRUCK example (including full thumb, hand, dress)
keyman64
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I really like the design. But it baffles me as to why there is no "fully struck" designation for them.
Mercury Dimes have "Full Bands" or Fully Split Bands
There's Full Head for the SLQ. They should have full shield too.
There's FBL for Franklins.
There are Full Steps for Jefferson Nickels.
Why no full thumb or at minimum, full hand? What about full dress?
Grading services have discussed releasing value or creating value for collectors that have collected the right coins (think + grades). But this would also be a boom for the grading services and registry sets. Why haven't they done this?
There have been discussions about Buffalo nickels with a full split tail, full horn, hair on the back of the buffalo etc.
Why no blanket Full Strike designation for nearly all coins? That's where things should go, rather than just a head but ignoring a shield...or hand, thumb and ignoring the dress etc etc.
Anyway, feel free to post Fully Struck business strike Walker Half Dollars that have fully defined thumbs, not just the left hand. If TPGs were to implement this designation, it would likely only impact a few dates since a lot of dates just aren't available fully struck.
Thoughts, feelings, posting of your examples?...ready, set, go...
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Comments
"Why no full thumb or at minimum, full hand? What about full dress?"
Be careful what you wish for...
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Even the proofs have problems with fully detailed hands, so you'll probably end up with a designation for business strikes like you mentioned eventually, but who knows...
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Ok keyman, I'm waiting to see what your op has to offer. Anyone?
Jim
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I'm Ok without any extra designations....these criteria are confusing enough on the series' they are currently used in. Like someone sending in a Merc dime multiple times to finally slip by with Full Bands, then next you know CAC won't approve it, as it's not FB by THEIR standards, etc....and as for Full Torch Roosie dimes commanding a premium - really?! And I've seen (heck I think I still own one somewhere) of a 36P with sharp full rounded thumb, "knuckles showing", as we call it - but the head is flat as a pancake. Would that be worth a premium? Probably not.
Let the specialists and experts enjoy hunting well struck specimens w/o "assistance" from the TPGs, and adding more wrinkles to the registry game. And like the OP pointed out - you likely could not assemble a complete set of Full Thumb walkers anyway.
All the designations/attributions used by the prime TPG's are speculative at best and irrelevant at worst, please don't ask for another one on Walkers. The best struck Walker I've ever seen or owned was a 1934 Philly that I bought a number of years ago at a club auction, hammered to the max with sharp detail all the way down from head to foot, fully struck thumb and finger detail.
PCGS called it AU58 and I still don't know why.
I like the idea of having a thumb showing. That means the strike is very good. I have a 33-47-s set in PCGS 65 all with the thumb showing and it makes a nice set. I wish the 3rd party grading companies would pay more attention to strike than they do. Some full head standing liberty quarters have a full head but are terribly struck. I am always surprised when I see a 67 or 68 WLH that have no hand let alone any sign of a thumb. Many of the top rated sets have some terrible strikes in them. I have posted my set here before and got nice responses. It was in the walker wednesday thread.
Early on, when collecting walkers in the wild, my focus was on strike and (lack of) marks. When I later submitted them for grading, the TPGs were not impressed. It’s all about the luster.
I have wondered why the WLH did not have a 'focus feature' (as I have termed such designations). I think the hand is the best candidate on the WLH for such designation. That being said, we have come this far without it, so unlikely it will happen in the future. Collectors will continue to use it as discerning criteria though. Cheers, RickO
Fairly well struck 36-d
Very well struck 40-s:
The breast feathers on the back are hard to find fully struck. The 2016 gold centennial walker is the fullest strike walker you'll get.
Interesting coin. It’s obvious from the die polish lines that this die was well used, and yet the details for a 40S are exceptional.
They must have turned up the press force after reinstalling the die.
Another 36.
Collector, occasional seller
Thank you @Walkerguy21D ! I have seen one other 40-s here on the board, with the exact same die polish lines, looked like the identical dies, and the strike was also strong on that coin as well.
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This one is quite well struck for a 1942-S. I regret every day selling this coin. It was my first PCGS submission after switching from ATS. Had I known better I would have sent it for reconsideration. Someone else did and the cert number is no longer valid, I can only wonder at the results... I've spent more time than is healthy comparing these TVs with 66+ and 67 TV's and think PCGS did me wrong the first time around!
Truthfully, I don’t care about any of the designations. Full this, full that. I don’t make it a priority to pursue coins with these designations. But I do prefer well struck coins over poorly struck coins. Doesn’t have to be a full strike, just better than average. Eye appeal will always be a key factor too.
Your 42-s is for sure well struck for an "s" mint. Here is mine (Ms-66) for example purposes. I like yours better.
I imagine it has a lot to do with the Red Book flat out stating that Mercury dimes with full central bands, SLQs with full head details, but being silent on specific strike characteristics of WLHs. The 1962 Red Book says that well struck Buffalo nickels and WLHs are worth more, but doesn't define a feature. I don't have a later pre-TPG Red Book to see how that guidance evolved. I know they eventually called out full steps on Jefferson nickels.
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I looked thru my collection after reading thread and although I knew a fully struck coin for the hand area was not common, didn't realize how rare it was. My best, also a 36P. I only have about 15 in MS so that limited my population. This was an MS62
Interesting how the 1936's keep popping up with good strikes...Was that the high water mark in terms of WL striking? Perhaps it was?
Fully struck should show a clear thumb and the Nike logo on her tennies.