Question regarding grading of 2 1/2 Indian

crazy4coins2005

I just bought a 1908 2 1/2 indian gold MS61 Anacs graded coin for $332. There appears to be slight wear on the shoulder of the wing on the reverse I was wondering how it could have graded that high with wear? The coin does look quite beautiful with nice luster regardless. Thanks.

Bruceswar

Need a picture to see what you are talking about.

relayer

Sometimes AU58 = MS61 and vice versa

crazy4coins2005

[URL=http://imageshack.us][/URL]

coinguy1

That area is often a bit softly struck, so what appears to be wear might simply be weakness in strike.

JrGMan2004

<< <i>I just bought a 1908 2 1/2 indian gold MS61 Anacs graded coin for $332. There appears to be slight wear on the shoulder of the wing on the reverse I was wondering how it could have graded that high with wear? The coin does look quite beautiful with nice luster regardless. Thanks. >>

With the services, wear doesn't always equat to circulated Just look at most MS61-63 Bust coinage... a lot will have what most would call wear, but what the services call "shelf rub" or some non-sense like that...


BTW, the $2.50 and $5 Indians are amoung the toughest coins to grade, and also the most inconsistantly graded coins...

TheRaven

The eagle is incused into the coin, so the surface would see the wear first.....

I would say a soft strike is more the answer.....

Grading these coins is very difficult as well.....

TorinoCobra71

<< <i>That area is often a bit softly struck, so what appears to be wear might simply be weakness in strike. >>



sure looks like RUB to me......

Weakness of strike, indeed........


TorinoCobra71

crazy4coins2005

How does chatter marks in the feild effect the grade?

PerryHall

<< <i>I just bought a 1908 2 1/2 indian gold MS61 Anacs graded coin for $332. There appears to be slight wear on the shoulder of the wing on the reverse I was wondering how it could have graded that high with wear? The coin does look quite beautiful with nice luster regardless. Thanks. >>



The lack of any feather detail on the eagles shoulder is characteristic of the 1908. Later dates were struck with dies that corrected this defect. This feature is discussed in the ANA grading book.

Artist

As others have said, that is a typically week struck area of the coin. When trying to assess for wear, luster breaks are a better indicator than are an absence of details. In any case, since this is an incuse design, the place to look for the 1st signs of wear are not in the devices but the fields, particularly where they are raised as a result of the striking process such as above the Eagle's talon.

PerryHall

<< <i>As others have said, that is a typically week struck area of the coin. When trying to assess for wear, luster breaks are a better indicator than are an absence of details. In any case, since this is an incuse design, the place to look for the 1st signs of wear are not in the devices but the fields, particularly where they are raised as a result of the striking process such as above the Eagle's talon. >>




Even when well struck, the 1908 will not show detail in this area. Its characteristic of that date and was corrected in the subsequent dates. Refer to the ANA grading book for more details.

TheRaven

<< <i>

<< <i>I just bought a 1908 2 1/2 indian gold MS61 Anacs graded coin for $332. There appears to be slight wear on the shoulder of the wing on the reverse I was wondering how it could have graded that high with wear? The coin does look quite beautiful with nice luster regardless. Thanks. >>



The lack of any feather detail on the eagles shoulder is characteristic of the 1908. Later dates were struck with dies that corrected this defect. This feature is discussed in the ANA grading book. >>



I just learned something today, I can go to bed know

techeff

That area is often a bit softly struck, so what appears to be wear might simply be weakness in strike.


I agree 100%...

Leiana

I see no wear. As for the chatter marks, well, that's why it's a 61.

-Amanda

seateddime

if it has wear it is not an Unc

seateddime

any chance of strike weakness, that is not wear

crazy4coins2005

Thanks for all the reply's.

crazy4coins2005

Ok now do you think this coin has a possibility of going higher than MS61? This coin looks a lot better than these photos show. It looks a lot smoother and brighter in hand.

[URL=http://imageshack.us][/URL]

[URL=http://imageshack.us][/URL]

Leiana

Well, since you're shooting through a glass, it's really difficult to give you an accurate assessment.

-Amanda

crazy4coins2005

Its through a loop. Its hard to get a clear close up without it.

Leiana

<< <i>Its through a loop. Its hard to get a clear close up without it. >>



Do you have a macro setting on your camera? It's usually a little flower icon.

-Amanda

crazy4coins2005

That's what I'm using but its hard to get good lighting, I keep getting the reflections of the light off the case.

Leiana

<< <i>That's what I'm using but its hard to get good lighting, I keep getting the reflections of the light off the case. >>



Hmmm... Try some indirect lighting without flash. Of course, this may require a tripod. I'm not really good at explaining photography.

-Amanda

crazy4coins2005

I edited the pictures, thats the best photos I can take right now. I hope there good enough to guess a grade.

crazy4coins2005

I'll just start another thread for guessing the grade of this coin as it seems this thread is probably not going to be overlooked again by the previous posters.