In Praise of Hairlines and Ticks!

Clankeye

I'm sitting here looking at a beautiful Lincoln commemorative slabbed 64. Has some field ticks, they don't really draw the eye. Gorgeous, satiny luster, gold and blue toning... a small hairline.

Next to it is my 64 Stone Mountain. Well struck, gold, mauve and yellow in the sky surrounding Lee and Jackson... one small tick on Lee's horse. You'd have to look for it....

I am so glad to gets these coins, in these grades. For the record, in the days before PCGS and NGC I'll bet they would have cost more. Because I have no doubt someone would have been asking the price of a Gem for them. And to me they are. No question. Even if the expects say they aren't. My pleasure in them would not heighten with a bump in the technical grade.

Those hairlines and ticks can sometimes be the collector's friend. Especially the collector on a budget.

Fairlaneman

Clank:

Many 64 Coins reside in my collection. If memory serves me correctly if they would have been bought in the early to mid 80's I would still be paying for them. The coins would have Graded Gem for sure back then.

Classic MS64 coins are for sure a great buy in these times. Still hopeing that everyone will keep looking down upon them as Dogs.

Ken

lordmarcovan

I know what you mean.

But ticks are nasty, especially when you have to pull 'em off the dog. Yuck. They carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme Disease, too.

shirohniichan

Yea, verily.

It's so great to be able to get a really nice coin in AU-58 because of a minor rub at a huge discount from MS-63. Ticks and rubs can be our friends, indeed.

kranky

I think hairlines can be weighed too heavily in the grading equation, because to me they sometimes aren't very distracting at all. I agree, it can make for a lovely coin in a 64 slab!

supercoin

Yep, it's the flipside of "crazy" prices for the "magic" number... sometimes a nice coin can actually get hurt by its label. I'd rather have 10 coins like you describe than one slightly better one in a higher label.

supercoin

As a collector, that is. As a dealer, gimme just that one coin to sell, thanks.

wingedliberty

Carl:
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a few nicks and hairlines, especially for coins that size.
Adds character!!! Keep enjoying them. I collect early commems in 62-66 as well. 64 is my favorite grade.



Brian.

Dog97

A tick or hairline is to be expected on a 64 so it's no big deal to me. If it has some outstanding qualities like well struck or lusterous that's even better.