My large cent has finally come in!
nwcs
Posts: 13,386 ✭✭✭
I posted about this a week and a half ago or so but the coin has finally arrived just in time. 
It's gorgeous and I had to share it. It's 64RB and has nice mellow luster with it. I think the grade is appropriate but I wonder what kept it from 65. And because I'm not tired of my seated dime, here is a better pic of it.
It's gorgeous and I had to share it. It's 64RB and has nice mellow luster with it. I think the grade is appropriate but I wonder what kept it from 65. And because I'm not tired of my seated dime, here is a better pic of it. 0
Comments
<< <i>I wonder what kept it from 65 >>
I would say a weak strike in the stars. I have a LC in 4 also and asked same question, that was the answer and I only have a couple soft stars.
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Tom, formerly in Albuquerque, NM.
<< <i>I wonder what kept it from 65.
<< <i>
The hit above the ear great coins BTW
Love that Large Cent.
Glenn
On the plus side, the surfaces are very clean. Many late date Large Cents have carbon spots or flecks. You're bound to see something when a coin is blown up as big as this one is, but its surfaces are clean.
Why did this coin not get into a 5 holder? There are many reasons. Excepting the 1855, 6 & 7, these coins are often well struck.
While the denticles on this coin are full, excepting a soft spot around 10:00 or 11:00, this coin is most likely a very late die state copper and / or is not struck well . Look at the lack of detail on the top leaves on the wreath on the reverse. This is IMO unusual for this date. Also, only stars seven and eight have full radials. The other stars are soft; this is also unusual for a late date Large Cent. Even the 1855, the most poorly struck date of the series, usually has soft stars only on one side of the coin.
Most high grade late date Large Cents I've seen have pristine detail re the centers, and are mushy around the denticles and stars. Most 1852 & 1853s I've seen are like that. This is not the case with your coin. The hair over the ear is softly struck, ditto re the hair above & in back of LIBERTY. A coin lacking this detail will not / should not get into a 5 holder.
The contact mark above the ear or at the base of the neck above the lowest curl should not adversely affect the grade on this coin; IMO, they are not material. I've seen plenty of Large Cents in 5 with one major contact mark in a grade sensitive area (typically on the cheek, jaw or neck).
It's hard to tell re the coin's luster and color from the image. From the image, it looks like a liner as to color. These days, you need 25% RD to get it called RB. Lots of Uncs designated RB in old PCGS holders would be BN if cracked out and sent in today.
In terms of its grade as MS 64, it looks right to me., because the coin doesn't have a lot of problems. To reiterate, my intention was to tell you why your coin is graded MS 64, NOT to beat up on the coin. For a 4, it looks reasonable to me.
"Seu cabra da peste,
"Sou Mangueira......."
Ron