Isn't this cleaned?

boyhowdy

Look how soft and rounded over the leaves in the wreath are.
ANACS should have net graded this one.

Steve
http://apps.heritagecoin.com/common/view_item.php?source=&Sale_No=353&Lot_No=658

FC57Coins

It's impossible to say, though I don't like the coloration I see on the coin, looks like it could be dip residue. Unfortunately on many Barbers you will find that at some point someone has tried cleaning them.

Steve27

I agree, you can't tell from the pics.

dorkkarl

idiotic to have a coin like that slabed, as if someone couldn't grade it himself. cleaned or not - who cares? not like it's going to be in someone's registry set!

K S

Shamika

Color looks a bit odd.

BillJones

The coin was undoubted cleaned a long time ago, and might get a BB if it were to be sent to PCGS or NGC. The color and “look” are not typical of an original circulated coin in this grade. But since the coin is only in Fine, it could get a pass.

Still the 1903-S is a semi-key date in the Barber dime series. And since it has a Gray Sheet bid price of $250 in Fine-12, some collectors would be more comfortable if the coin were placed in a slab. Not every collector gets things slabbed so that they can play on the registry. The vast majority of slabs have never been entered in a registry.

To me registries are not the center of numismatic universe. They are diversions that the grading services sponsor that have turned out to be brilliant marketing tools.