? for Wash. Quarter experts

Manorcourtman

Hello All,

I was wondering if someone could give me some tips on MS quarters from the 70's and what PCGS is looking for at the MS67-68 grade levels. I pulled a 71d from a mint set the is virtually mark free with a excellent strike. But what else should I be looking for to achieve the lofty grade of 67 or higher. I have never seen a slabbed Wash. 25c in MS67 or 68 from the 70's. Thanks for your help. I can't post a pic because my camera won't take pics less than 100 kb.

Thanks.....Chris in Ohio

Steve27

I can't answer your question on what to look for other than mark free and strike quality, but you should be able to take any size pic from your camera and reduce its size with software (which I would bet came with the camera).

poptopsRus

They are tough on high grades. Must be a great strike and totally mark free to get a 67 or 68 grade on them. Even slight planchet flaws will drop the grade to a 66.

MoneyLA

Let me ask another question: if the coin is weakly struck (mushy) but mark free -- does the weak strike detract from the score the coin might receive for its mark-free surfaces? In other words -- how are surface marks and strike quality ranked or what clout do they have in the grading process?

cheers, alan mendelson

fantasiize

Chris from Ohio,

Clad MS67 Washingtons from the 70's are truly tough (except maybe for the 70d, 71d, and 72d).

IMO, good strike, nice luster and relatively mark free are 3 prerequisites for the MS67 grade. Also, and this being a little subjective, when you see it, you will know it. By that, I mean that once you get to looking at about 500+ coins, you will know when you have one (sorry for sounding vague, but I am not sure how to better articulate this point).

Since a picture is truly worth a thousand words, I'll look to include a picture of a d-mint and p-mint MS67 either later tonight or tomorrow morning.

When looking at just a mint set (the 1971 in your case) the 71p's are typically horrible and the 71d's are typically better. Now, if you compare the two coins in the mint set, the 71p, typically in MS63 to MS63+, will make the 71d, typically in MS65 to MS65+, look like MS66 to MS66+ (if that makes any sense).

Chris from MD

fantasiize

Here is one that I just saw on eBay (no, it is not me nor do I know the seller).

Nice strike, luster, not sure of marks, but has the "look"

dollardude

Manorcourtman, I think you probably can post pics < 100 kB. I just got a 5 Mpixel camera, and have been practicing taking macro pictures of coins. My software allows me to downconvert a high resolution pic. When I do a "Save As" in .jpg format, I tell the software I want to compress the file.

buc

I pulled this one out a mint set and plan on sending it in once turnaround times get better, I think it might go 67, the only weakness I see on the coin is the mushy I on the motto, no contact marks that I see.

cladking

<< <i>

IMO, good strike, nice luster and relatively mark free are 3 prerequisites for the MS67 grade. Also, and this being a little subjective, when you see it, you will know it. By that, I mean that once you get to looking at about 500+ coins, you will know when you have one (sorry for sounding vague, but I am not sure how to better articulate this point).

>>



So what will the nicest '71 and '71-D in 500 mint sets grade in your opinion?

I really need to get this dang thing calibrated.

cladking

<< <i>I pulled this one out a mint set and plan on sending it in once turnaround times get better, I think it might go 67, the only weakness I see on the coin is the mushy I on the motto, no contact marks that I see.



>>



The coin is very nice but you can find these with better strikes. It is pretty clean by any standard.

fantasiize

Cladking,

In looking at about 500 mint sets (in about 3 years now) I believe that I probably found at least 2 "lock" 71p in MS65s (woo hoo !!, please note sarcasm) with the rest mostly between MS63 to MS64. Regarding the 71d, I probably have 1 MS67 and about 25 MS66's with the rest being MS64+ to MS65+ (MS66 or less in this date/mm is not good).

I will put aside the best 71p from that 500 mint set batch and then when I get through the next 500 mint set batch, I will select the best one there, compare the two and submit the best one of the two to see if I luck out on a MS66.

cladking

<< <i>Cladking,

In looking at about 500 mint sets (in about 3 years now) I believe that I probably found at least 2 "lock" 71p in MS65s (woo hoo !!, please note sarcasm) with the rest mostly between MS63 to MS64. Regarding the 71d, I probably have 1 MS67 and about 25 MS66's with the rest being MS64+ to MS65+ (MS66 or less in this date/mm is not good).

I will put aside the best one from that 500 mint set batch and then when I get through the next 500 mint set batch, I will select the best one there, compare the two and submit the best one to see if I luck out on a MS66. >>



Yowza!! It might be back to the drawing board.

Thanks for the help.

fantasiize

Buc,

Nice 71d (good luster, clean, nice appeal). It may have a decent chance to get MS67 but you are correct about the strike.

docday2003

<< <i>

<< <i>I pulled this one out a mint set and plan on sending it in once turnaround times get better, I think it might go 67, the only weakness I see on the coin is the mushy I on the motto, no contact marks that I see.



>>



The coin is very nice but you can find these with better strikes. It is pretty clean by any standard. >>



Beautiful surfaces, but I agree that the strike on the I and N are too weak...IMO

MoneyLA

I have a question about "strike" vs. "preservation" of a coin and its grade? If a coin is struck poorly, but has been preserved without damage (pristine) is the coin grade lowered? Can such a coin (preserved in pristine condition) but showing a weak strike attain a MS70 grade, or does the strike AND the state of preservation determine the grade?

As part of the discussion let me offer this: recently I had a proof washington graded as pr65 even though the coin showed a poor strike from weak dies. yet, it was well preserved and was graded pr65. would the coin have received a higher grade had it had a better strike or came from better dies?

cheers, alan mendelson

grip

I would say it depends on the degree of weak strike,series,and where it is.Al