Is this Walker VF?

ARCO

Looks Fine at best to me. Any comments?

Key date Walker

Seems 90% of the walkers are overgraded on Ebay. Key dates (raw) about 100 %.

Tyler

nwcs

I don't have my references handy, but I think it can be VF. Would need to see it up close.

Russ

If I'm reading my PCGS book correctly, it is a VF.

Russ, NCNE

Placid

Low end VF like 20.

LanLord

The dings on it scare me, it may be technically a vf but I'd drop it to a f for the hits.

moursund

I'm with Lanlord; by ANA grading standards book, it probably squeaks by as VF, but it looks damaged.

am

Geoman

Just compared it to the Walkers in Photograde, and I have to say it MAY make VF-20. Photograde states that on the obverse, the breasts will be outline for a VF-20. Hard to tell from the picture, but I do not think they are outlined enough for a VF-20. Photograde states reverse should have all the feathers showing for a VF-20. Close here too. So, maybe a VF-20, or maybe a F-15. But I am no expert.

dorkkarl

appears borderline VF to me. the early date walkers always look 1/2 grade lower than later dates (> 1934). that is why a lot look overgraded on ebay, although obviously there really are many overgrades. the same problem holds true for SLQ's, where the early dates always look 1/2 grade lower than they really are.

i like the coin, & i know it is a heckuva tough date. worth much more than F, but not full VF $. w/out a price guide to go by, i'd guess about 350-450.

btw, if you misread it, their motto sounds kind funny "we buy it, right? we sell it, right?"

K S

mr1931S

when it comes time to sell...

dealers will pass on it as a vf...

needs more feather details to be a true vf,imho...

BigD5

dorkkarl hit the nail on the head with this one. For an early date Walker, it will pass as a vf.
As someone else mentioned above, the dings in the obv. fields don't help in the eye appeal dept. though!

Bulldog

I wouldn'tgive it VF, and I wouldn't give $5.50 shipping either. But then I am very frugal I guess!

Bulldog

jdimmick

I have had a lot of experience with circulated walkers,
The coin would grade at fine-12 if sent to PCGS.(might get a fine-15 at NGC or ICG)(VF-35 at ACG)
jim d

DaveG

According to the grading guide in Bruce Fox's book, this coin is a F-12 (even considering it's an early date).

I had a chat with a dealer at the White Plains coin show on Oct. 12 (see my earlier post if you're interested in all the details), who said that almost all the circulated better-date Walkers he sees are overgraded by at least a full grade - (or, perhaps more accurately, they're underpriced in the grading guides by a full grade!) He said demand was sufficiently strong for the better-date coins that dealers could get the prices they wanted.

I didn't ask him, however, if you would get a bid one grade up when you went to sell one of these coins, though!

JJacks

You know what can be an interesting thing to do when you have a question like this? Check out Heritage's website and do a Permanent Auction Archives search. I just went over there and selected Walking Liberty Halfs and for the keyword, I just entered 'vf20', and quite a few items came up mostly 21-D and 21-S that are graded by ANACS or NGC mostly with nice pictures of all of them. I think you have to be a Heritage member to do the search. I am not trying to sell anyone on Heritage here, but they certainly have a nice archive for viewing coins that sold in previous auctions of theirs.

JJacks

berylcoin

Fine at best to me and the ANA standards. I may be in the minority, but I hate the idea of grading different dates by different standards in this grade range. I can understand making considerations in the grades where luster is part of the grade, but on a F-VF coin? I'd much prefer the grade were based on level of detail. If true VFs are extremely rare for a date, so be it. Let the standards grade them and the market price them, not vice versa. (clunk-clunk of BC stepping off soapbox)

BC

shllyshny

Heck. My advice is to buy it as VF then send it to ACG. This coin would come back slabbed as USDA grade-A rock-solid MS99!

Max