Sharpening Washington Quarter Grading Skills
Matt04
Posts: 468 ✭✭✭
This is indeed my actual desk at this very moment as I begin sorting thru many raw quarters...
Earlier today I visited a new coin shop and went through a ton of type coins before asking to look at some raw Washington quarters. The shop had a drawer full of different dates stored in tubes, and I ended up hand-selecting some better BU examples of the more hoarded, but still tougher in higher grade, 1960s Denver issues.
I’ll share photos soon. Many had residue consistent with coins that likely came from original rolls.
For now, I’ll be going through the raw BU quarters I’ve picked up over the past year to see which ones may have grading potential.
I’m also trying to continue improving my eye by comparing raw coins to slabbed examples, along with results from my own past submissions.
and.. varieties !
How does everyone here learn to better grade coins and train your eye?
Comments
I like to practice the exact same way, when possible.
Update:
Upon Review of a majority of the BU Quarters I own, the following were my choice selection for a potential future submission. I feel like a majority are in the 66 range with 1 or 2 on the fence for 65.
Some Notes:
The #1 1962-D has an amazing bluish frosty skin surface, this exact coin was one I chose out of an original bank wrapped Roll some years back. It has some ticks on the cheek and above wash & rev eagle chest. Choice for nice luster, skin & surfaces with the ticks detracting from higher grades.
The #2 1962-D has an amazing original golden haze surface which is a major + on the obverse as well as reverse with a few ticks in the fields and a nearly clean rev. This example is well struck with very sharp and not mushy at all tail feathers on the Rev. If blast white this would be a 65, but due to the original surfaces and golden haze toning I feel this has a strong shot at a 66 if sent in. Most 60's in 66 I have seen from these 60's dates are usually blast white with many obv and rev abrasions.
1955-D a tough date to find in finer grades 66 and higher. This was a purchase I made today for melt, it has original surfaces and the darker brown splotches consistent with potentially coming from a bank roll. This one I'm on the fence for potentially receive a 65 grade. Reverse is virtually flawless, the obverse has a dark dot on the cheek and some hits in that particular area. Overall a nice original example.
Final one is a 1948-D which came from an original Wayte Raymond Album I had purchased. This is as original as they come, with an amazing reverse that's nicely colored with original surfaces. Obverse has some ugly less desireable toning, a few smaller hits near the chin but a nice cheek and nice fields. There's visible die polish marks on both sides of fields on the obverse of the coin. This is overall a real nice original example that I believe could grade 66 with a shot at 67 although it has less desirable obverse toning.