MS67 vs. MS68 Mercury Dimes: what usually distinguishes one from the other?

dan1ecu

Hi, Everybody -

There is a big jump in price from MS67 to MS68 for the Mercury Dime series. I would expect both to be very clean, well struck, and appealing to the eye. Can anyone tell me what usually distinguishes an MS67 from a 68? In your opinion, is the difference in the coin worth the difference in price?

Dan

OKbustchaser

Determined by the day of the week it was graded...not worth the difference in price.

JimP

jbsteven

68's have fewer marks and must either have booming luster or nice toning. No PCGS ms69FB Mercury is white, they are all toned.

If you like the best then get a ms68. I know I sure like them and have a few.

rainbowroosie

I think the lustre is the key at PCGS, no marks at NGC.....booming lustre might kick a 67 to 68 at PCGS. Light rainbow also helps.

jbsteven

here is one of mine

rainbowroosie

JB,
that coin is way too deeply toned for you...I'll "bail you out" at half of what you paid for it!!!!

I just love to be helpful!!!

dan1ecu

I appreciate the comments.

Beautiful coin, JB!

Dan

Cherwood

That coin looks like it's been soaking in Koolaid.

jbsteven

rainbow

gee thanks! it would take close to double what I paid to pry it out of my collection.

oh here is another cool one. only a ms67*

Fairlaneman

Todays 68's were yesterdays 67's. Yesterdays 67's were the day before 66's. Get the picture ?

The Icon coin is a 67 with No Bands. Hmmm....what happened with a Full Strike on 67's ?

Ken

jbsteven

Fairlane

So you are saying all rattler holder mercs are undergraded by how many points on today's scale?

jbsteven

my point of that post is I hate hearing absolutes. Not EVERY coin will upgrade that was graded 15 years ago.

grading changes over time. Deal with what the standards are now.

Fairlaneman

JB

Who said every coin would upgrade. Really I have seen better looking coins in the Green holders than the rattlers. Heck who brought this up anyway. Not me. I am going by what I have seen over the past 23 years with Mercs. What are you going by ? Not ragging but just asking.

A little experience does help I believe.

Ken

Fairlaneman

Opps missed something.

"Deal with what the standards are now."

JB tell that to the folks that lost their ass in the 80's. 68's have a huge downside IMO. Thats why myself as a collector will not touch the things. Most of the time a 67 or even a 66 is just as nice. Of course dealers love them for the money that can be had for one lousy point.

Ken

rainbowroosie

JB,
I like your icon coin in ANY holder!!

jom

<< <i>MS67 vs. MS68 Mercury Dimes: what usually distinguishes one from the other? >>



Virtually nothing.



<< <i>is the difference in the coin worth the difference in price? >>



There shouldn't be but then again, there is the registry.

jom

jbsteven

your quote



<< <i>Todays 68's were yesterdays 67's. Yesterdays 67's were the day before 66's. Get the picture ? >>



this is where I got it from.

jbsteven

<< <i>Most of the time a 67 or even a 66 is just as nice >>



not the 68's I own. You have your opinion and I have mine.

Fairlaneman

THANK YOU !! JOM.

JB ask JOM he sure in the hell knows Mercs. And where in that statement did I say every coin would upgrade.

Come on Boy San. Read a little.

Ken

tradedollarnut

Most 68's are obviously better than most 67's.... of any series. Whether they are worth the premium depends on the individual buyer. Some people want the best and a few thousand dollars isn't that much to pay for the difference in quality.

However, I must say that IMO the MS69 in this thread didn't image very well. I like the MS67* better.

jbsteven

You stated


<< <i>Todays 68's were yesterdays 67's. Yesterdays 67's were the day before 66's >>



If I were to make this statement I would say the following:

Today's 68's are most of yesterdays 67's.

You get the picture. I hate when people use absolutes like your first statement because they are not true.

I am off to ride my motorcycle for the night. Type at you guys later.

Fairlaneman

TDN you look at Big Coins all of the time and with them of course there is a difference. With a little dinky Merc there is little if any difference at all. It mostly depends on the MOOD.

JMHO.

Ken

Fairlaneman

Holy crap. Just to make you more Happy JB I will think for thirty minutes before typing anything again. I hate to be Hated. Sort of trivial dont you think. You knew exactly what was inferred by the ststement.

Dont Crash....

Ken

ziggy29

<< <i>TDN you look at Big Coins all of the time and with them of course there is a difference. With a little dinky Merc there is little if any difference at all. It mostly depends on the MOOD. >>

Yeah. I'm with QDB on this one; he frequently writes in his Coin World article about the insanity of an MS-68 uber coin selling for the value of 10 MS-65s or fifty MS-63s, and how the average collector (read: non-registry) can probably derive a LOT more pleasure out of collecting with fifty MS-63 coins than with one MS-68.

I paraphrase and use my own specific examples, but this is essentially the point Bowers has made over and over again. And it's hard to go wrong agreeing with Dave Bowers.

jom

I have a tendency to agree with TDN here. I'm sure most 68s are "better" then 67s. By "better" I mean "higher grade" BUT GRADE is not the same thing as QUALITY nor is it the same as EYE APPEAL. What may appeal to TDN or Fairlane may not appeal to me and vice versa.

Too me, not being a big spender, I look for VALUE. If I can get a MS67 coin, which is superb gem, for a fraction of a 68 there is NO WAY IN HELL I pay the 68 money. I use this buying "strategy" at all levels of grade from AU55 on up and all the series I collect too. It's all a matter of VALUE and that is a personal thing really...

jom

Elcontador

TDN as usual, brings up a good point. Is the premium to pay for a 68 worth the add'l $ to you over what you would pay for the coin in 67? Not to me, though intelligent people may disagree.

The stuff I colllect costs to much to look at MS 68, so I'll give an example of a decision I've made recently. I bought an 1883 No Cent Nickel in PC 6. Its luster is as nice as any I've seen on a Liberty Nickel in any grade. However, it has a few trivial contact marks in the open area in the reverse field and the left corn is not fully stuck. Get rid of these tick marks and add a full corn and you're looking at a $3,000 coin in a 7 holder. I paid between $650 and $700 for mine.

I will not pay multiples in terms of price for the next grade up when you're only looking at the difference of a trivial contact mark or two. Then again, I don't do registry sets.