YN Commemorative Contest

rwyarmch

A proof 1982-S George Washington Commemorative half dollar to the YN who comes closest to PCGS's evaluation of the 1935 Old Spanish Trail commemorative half dollar pictured below. Please PM me with your evaluation and brief rationale by Friday, 8 PM EST. (In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined by a random drawing.)

rwyarmch

Guardians are welcome to reply with your evaluation!

smokinjoe925

Awsome giveaway rwyarmch.

I think I pm'd you but if i didn't then ill guess Fine. It is a nice coin but there is no way its ms (no offence).

I take back what I said, I didnt compair it to another, so I thought it was way more worn that it was. I give it an au 58. Thanks

Lambeau

evaluation as in like grade?

mojoman

Awesome coin and giveaway, I am Playing for my Grandson Tyler ms64 maybe a little p/l also?

ElKevvo

Nice Spanish Trail! I will guess on behalf of my daughter Valerie MS65...

Lambeau

MS-63, very nice giveaway! Thanks for the chance!

rwyarmch

The 7 responses ranged from MS65 on the high end to fine on the low side with a mint state average of about 64. PCGS's label is shown below.











In addition to assigning grades to coins based on condition, a critical responsiblity of Third Party Grading firms is to determine a coin's authenticity. It is not at all unusual for the more valuable coins in a series to be counterfeited and this one is no exception. Diagnostics have long been published for the Spanish Trail to help distinguish between a fake and an authentic specimen. - if you're looking! Someone paid $725 for this particular fake years ago-an expensive lesson.

Given that no one came particularly close to "bodybagged", my wife suggested and I agreed that we should have a drawing among all the entrants to determine who gets the Washington half. And the winner is....

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ElKevvo!

PM me with your info and off it will go!

PS It's authentic!

Weather11am

For future reference, how can you tell it is counterfieted? Just wondering. Thanks!

TCoins

Good lesson and thanks for the chance.

rwyarmch

Weather11am,
I had to drag out a dealer's text on counterfeit detection years ago to confirm what PCGS had determined. I've since ordered a copy of my own and will post the details when it arrives.

cosmicdebris

Cool giveaway and lesson.