$5 Indian - Shot at upgrade?

Blade

OK, with all the caveats about it being difficult to impossible to grade from a picture, I thought I would have some fun anyway.

Below is a 1915 $5 Indian I bought about a year ago. I always thought it was nice for the grade - really good luster, good strike, overall very nice eye appeal. It is currently in a PCGS green holder.

What do you think this coin should grade? I'll post the actual grade later.

XpipedreamR

63

darktone

MS60-61. I don't see any luster but I don't see any wear although the cheek is hard to tell if it's a few contact marks or wear. mike

tlhoy

I'd say 63 -- no way would I give it a 64 with that mark between the L and the forehead! But I'm tough on gold.
Glenn

Gaudens

Looks like a 63 to me...

My guess it's currently in a PCGS MS 62 holder...

jom

You ask us to grade a coin on a picture that shows NO luster. Too hard to do....make a better picture!

jom

BillJones

The coin can be no better than MS-63, and it could go as low as AU-58.

There's the usual stacking mark on the Indian's cheekbone, perhaps a rub on the upper wing, and like others have said, no luster in the picture. The surfaces look smooth, which is a plus; but they also look lifeless.

It would have also been good if you had told us the grade that is on the holder from the get-go. That would make it easier for us to tell you if it would be worth your time to crack it and send it in.

Blade

It's the only pic I have - shot by Heritage in the auction. It's in a 62 holder but I think it could 63.

BillJones

The only way that even a expert could decide if it's worth a shot on a crack out would be to see the coin in person.

Most MS-62 graded coins like this have nice eye appeal, but they are often not true Mint State coins. Hence that's why they end up in MS-62 holders, but can look like MS-63 or 64. That's true even for green label PCGS holders.

Having said that I'll say this. I upgraded one of these coins from a PCGS AU-58 "little old rattle holder" to an NGC MS-63. I'd owned the coin since the mid 1960's and had had it slabbed in the mid 1980s. PCGS really low balled the coin IMO as the subsequent NGC grade proved. This is one of the reasons why dealers get tired of sending coins to PCGS during certain periods of time when they are in their "conservative mode." Grading should be a two way street with fair treatment for buyers AND sellers.