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What is the most difficult coin series to Grade? (two part question)

DoubleEagle59DoubleEagle59 Posts: 8,377 ✭✭✭✭✭
Let's split this up into two categories.

1.) What is the most difficult series to grade in MS condition? Let's include AU's also, say from au50 to ms67. By difficult, I obviously mean what series do you find has the most 'difference of opinion' amongst yourselves and including the TPG's.

My limited US knowledge, I'll say Peace Dollars is my choice.

and 2), same question but this time let's just include the circulated grades, from AG to XF45.

I don't have a choice for this one, but I'm thinking it might involve some early gold coinage.

"Gold is money, and nothing else" (JP Morgan, 1912)

"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)

"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)

Comments

  • HyperionHyperion Posts: 7,440 ✭✭✭
    Incuse indian designs and buff nicks... for me...
  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 23,815 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I do not think it can be limited to a single series... the trick is to understand the dates within the series and the striking characteristics.

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • anablepanablep Posts: 5,159 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I would agree with Hyperion and add Ikes as well, as they have little detail to begin with...
    Always looking for attractive rim toned Morgan and Peace dollars in PCGS or (older) ANA/ANACS holders!

    "Bongo hurtles along the rain soaked highway of life on underinflated bald retread tires."


    ~Wayne
  • veryfineveryfine Posts: 1,763 ✭✭✭
    Standing Liberty quarters, followed by Peace dollars.
  • 2.5 and 5 indians for me . (and most darkside)
  • darktonedarktone Posts: 8,437 ✭✭✭
    Everyone usually say's $2 1/2 and $5 Indians but I don't think so. From a picture on the internet it's hard but in person they are easy if you look at enough. I don't like grading mint state lincoln cents.
  • Coll3ctorColl3ctor Posts: 3,353 ✭✭✭
    image


    Is that fruit real image
  • BarndogBarndog Posts: 20,515 ✭✭✭✭✭
    grading circ classic commems is difficult because there just aren't enough examples out there to give one the needed experience.

    Was reading "Bust Half Fever" today. Edgar Souders says it is rather difficult to differentiate between high AU and MS bust halves. I tend to believe him (given that the TPGs get it wrong with some frequency)
  • darktonedarktone Posts: 8,437 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Everyone usually say's $2 1/2 and $5 Indians but I don't think so. From a picture on the internet it's hard but in person they are easy if you look at enough. I don't like grading mint state lincoln cents. >>





    Is that fruit real image >>



    Chandler Pastel painting from the late 19th century.
  • copper
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  • I find Buffalo Nickels to be difficult to grade in either ms or circ.
    imageimage
    Collector of Early 20th Century U.S. Coinage.
    ANA Member R-3147111
  • bfjohnsonbfjohnson Posts: 541 ✭✭✭
    Don't collect them but I think it would be tough to grade the 50 state quarters reverses in circulated grades.
  • lkeigwinlkeigwin Posts: 16,893 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Peace dollars are certainly up there. I'm comfortable with Lincolns. I have a tough time with SLQ's.
  • slincslinc Posts: 480 ✭✭
    I'm pretty poor at grading to begin with but trying to grade a few standing liberty quarters i had was very frustrating.
  • drwstr123drwstr123 Posts: 7,049 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Standing Liberty quarters are the tuff ones for me.
    image
    image
  • MidLifeCrisisMidLifeCrisis Posts: 10,550 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Not a specific series but...most coins that are considered colonials (or colonial era) are notoriously difficult to grade in MS or circulated.
  • veryfineveryfine Posts: 1,763 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Standing Liberty quarters are the tuff ones for me.
    image
    image >>


    Nice 17 T1.image
  • Peace dollars to both. Partly because I just don't like them, and don't spend any time looking at them.

    merse

  • ShamikaShamika Posts: 18,785 ✭✭✭✭
    Most people have serious problems grading Buffalo nickels. You really have to know the uniqueness of each individual date.

    Personally, I find 2 1/2 Indian gold impossible.



    Buyer and seller of vintage coin boards!
  • drddmdrddm Posts: 5,402 ✭✭✭✭✭
    According to the 2nd edition of the PCGS book "The Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection" edited by Scott Travers, on page 178 Capped Bust Half Dollar - Lettered Edge/Reeded Edge (1807-1839) Circulated Examples, "This is probably the toughest series to grade in American numismatics."

    I believe this is so due to the incredible strike differences seen throughout this series.
  • critocrito Posts: 1,735
    Yeah, buffalo nickels, at least in higher MS grades. I keep sending in 67's and getting back 66 slabs for some reason. image
  • I find pinpointing the exact MS grade for any series to be exceedingly difficult- - I have become a master of grading circulated Capped Bust halves and quarters this year however...I'm also very good at grading circulated Lincolns image
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,802 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Any really small coin such as 3 silver cents and gold dollars.
    $2 1/2 and $5 gold Indians due to their incuse design
    State quarters will be difficult once they start wearing down since every coin has a different design

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • jdillanejdillane Posts: 2,365 ✭✭✭
    I'll second LECBH's.

    I looked at a PCGS 1811 slabbed MS64. Overall wonderful surfaces and shimmering luster but I could not get past the slight rub at the chin. It was detectable sans loupe. I couldn't help but think she was a PQ 58. May have been cabinet friction since the surfaces were otherwise so nice.

    I used to pleasure in finding weakly struck but highly lusterous CBH's. They are tougher to come by at reasonable prices these days.
  • Halfhunter06Halfhunter06 Posts: 1,332 ✭✭✭
    without a doubt the 2.5 and 5 dollar gold indians, and includes both Unc and Cirs coins, since the hardest part is trying to tell which is which.
  • garsmithgarsmith Posts: 5,894 ✭✭
    Peace Dollars because of the weakness of the strike in all years except 1921
  • Gold and gold.
  • roadrunnerroadrunner Posts: 28,313 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I find the 19th century to be far easier to grade than the early 20th century series. In particular incuse gold, Buffs, SLQ's, Walkers, and Peace dollars. Part of this might be due to the larger fields typically seen on 19th century classics. For me, it's a toss up between the Buffs, SLQ's, and Walkers (ie busy designs with many ways to hide marks, varying luster, and huge strike differences). The incuse gold is similar to grading bust halves...forget the highpoint striking, stacking friction and rub, and concentrate on the quality of the field luster and field scuffiness.

    roadrunner
    Barbarous Relic No More, LSCC -GoldSeek--shadow stats--SafeHaven--321gold

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