Some musings from a runner-up in the PCGS Grading Contest - with pics, Coins 1-6, added Illini420's

claychaser · September 13, 2012 12:54AM

Thanks to mingot for helping me get the images to load!

Added our previous grading champion, Illini420, to the grades below.

Here are are grades and comments on the 1st six coins. Will add more later.

Coin #1:

Actual Grade: MS67FB, My grade MS66FB, Illini's grade MS66FB:
This is a wonderful coin and a joy at first glance. I thought the grade would be limited by the die polish lines on the reverse. I personally like them, but I over-analyzed and thought the PCGS graders would not like them the way I do. I just overhtought this one.

Coin #2

Actual Grade AU53, My Grade AU 58, Illini's grade AU55:
My thought is that this is what I call a 58 - a 63 or better coin with rub. I am a sucker for luster and color over wear and ticks and hits. I'd love to buy this one for 53 money.

Coin #3

Actual Grade MS 66, My Grade MS 65,, Illini's grade MS 65:
Washingtons are just not my bag, and this grade was basically a guess.

Coin #4

Actual Grade MS 63, My Grade MS64, Illini's grade MS64:
I was on the fence with the obverse Morgan toner. I felt the coin was a little softly struck, and I fully agree with the 63 grade. Just put too much emphasis on the toning.

Coin #5

Actual Grade MS66, My Grade MS65, Illini's grade MS65:
A wonderful Peace Dollar. Just a little to conservative on my part, but I downgraded it due to the long diagonal very light scratch or frost break along the wing.

Coin #6

Actual Grade MS 65, My grade MS 63. Illini's grade MS64:
Really nice flash on this $10 eagle. I downgraded it because I felt it too baggy for a 65, but the strike and lustre are really nice. Love the frost on this coin.

mingot · September 13, 2012 1:27AM

put "_Large.jpg" and the end of all of your image urls.

exclude the quotes, of course.

ie change:
http://images.pcgs.com/trueview/20522955

to
http://images.pcgs.com/trueview/20522955_Large.jpg

claychaser · September 13, 2012 2:08AM

Thanks mingot - pictures are now working

Whit · September 13, 2012 2:59AM

Posts such as this one with top-notch photos are very interesting and instructive. Thank you, Claychaser.

Whit

Rollerman · September 13, 2012 3:06AM

Great post - informative!
I graded them first before I read your descriptions. I agreed with you on the dime, I had the five dollar gold right (just lucky there as don't do much with gold) and I was lower than you on the quarter, in other words, way off. But like you, Washington Quarters aren't my bag. Nice photo's by the way, assume they are PCGS photo's?
Best wishes,
Pete

krueger · September 13, 2012 3:08AM

I would like to see the whole set of photos, where did the photos come from? Are they on the PCGS site?

Thanks

Krueger

krueger · September 13, 2012 3:24AM

I would not pay 66 money for coin#1 as the die polish lines ( even though mint as made) are too distracting.
doesn't seem to me to be market graded.

On the gold piece the Eye appeal does seem better, but has a large scrape at 4o'clock, probably lost some on this.

On Coin# 3 the washington quarter, I would also be hesitant to pay 66 money for a coin with distarcting marks in the center of focal areas.
Cheek and eagles breast.

These must be non CAC' able coins.

just one collectors opinion.

Krueger

fastfreddie · September 13, 2012 3:30AM

Thanks for sharing it was neat to compare what I thought they would grade.

I said:

cleaned - no grade (whoops didn't notice that the lines stopped at the devices
53 - actually got it right.
64 - thought there were too many ticks and abraisions on the upper cheek to go higher.

For some reason I only could see the first three? Now all six are there.

Freddie

DorkGirl · September 13, 2012 3:41AM

Thanks for sharing.

MikeInFL · September 13, 2012 3:49AM

What did coin #6 grade? I graded it 64, FWIW.

claychaser · September 13, 2012 3:58AM

<< <i>What did coin #6 grade? I graded it 64, FWIW. >>

Added to thread

illini420 · September 13, 2012 4:15AM

I only got 4/20 correct in this contest... quite a downward move from my 10/20 win at the previous Long Beach show!!! That said, in looking at the TrueViews of the coins and the PCGS grades, I think at least of couple of the PCGS grades would change on a regrade

Here is how I graded the coins:

1. MS66FB (actual 67FB)
2. AU55 (actual 53)
3. MS65 (actual 66)
4. MS64 (actual 63)
5. MS65 (actual 66)

6. MS64 (actual 65)
7. PR66CA (actual 64CA)
8. MS63 (actual 63)
9. MS62 (actual 65)
10. MS64 (actual 65)

11. MS64RB (actual 65RB)
12. MS64RD (actual 64RD)
13. MS63 (actual 64FH)
14. MS64 (actual 63)
15. MS65 (actual 66)

16. AU58 (actual 63)
17. MS62 (actual 61)
18. MS67FB (actual 63FB)
19. MS66 (actual 66)
20. MS64 (actual 64)

Was still fun to give it a shot and I'm comforted by the fact that I was within one grade on nearly all of them. Even more comforted in the fact that I undergraded more often than overgraded, which should help me in buying coins that are better for the grade vs. overgraded coins. That said, I still think the Merc Dime in #18 is way better than 63FB!

Timbuk3 · September 13, 2012 5:05AM

Congratulations !!!
Thanks for sharing.

renomedphys · September 13, 2012 5:22AM

Wow! I actually hit 5 out of 6, missing the last one by two points. Shouldn't be a 65, IMHO.

I did waffle a bit over coin two. My initial impulse was 53 out of the blue, but then looking closer, I thought I was being a bit harsh. I danced with the idea of going 55/58, but then went with my initial impression, which is right more often than not.

bigjpst · September 13, 2012 5:24AM

Great post,
I was also part of the 5 way tie for first.
Coins listed my grade/actual
MS67FB/MS67FB
MS62/AU53 I still have some issues circulated gold. I thought it was pretty baggy, but just spent several hours looking at lots at Goldberg/heritage of gold I thought was circulated and the TPGS graded unc so .
MS66/MS66
MS64/MS63
MS65+, crossed out +/MS66
MS64/MS65
PR66DCAM/PR64CAM
MS63/MS63
MS64/MS65 I have something crossed out on my sheet and corrected to 64, man if it's a 5 under there.......

MS66/MS65
MS66RD/MS65RB Another thing I'm working on with the color designations of copper
MS66RD/MS64RD
AU58/MS64FH. I could swear there was wear on the reverse eagle, still had plenty of luster.
MS64/MS63
MS65+, crossed out +/MS66
MS63/MS63
MS61/MS61
MS66FB/MS63FB Don't know how I got this one that far off

MS66/MS66
MS65/MS64
Sad part to me was that I originally gave 2 coins plus grades but crossed them off wish I would have changed my grades up 1 because both coins I thought were above average for 65 but not quite 66. Guess I was wrong, and it cost me a Gold $20. I guess there's always next show. Thanks to PCGS for putting on these fun contests.

LanceNewmanOCC · September 13, 2012 5:45AM

.
add the following to super-analyze coins from coinfacts and possibly true-view

_max.jpg

warning*** super slow load times from even a very fast broadband connection. probably server limitations set by pcgs
.

lordmarcovan · September 13, 2012 7:00AM

I get a logon page when I try to copy and paste the pix. Would try to help more, but my stinky satellite connection is acting up and running like molasses again.

PS- Weird. When I opened this thread, I saw the initial post, with bad pictures and all. Then, after I replied, several hours' worth of replies showed, and the repaired images. It's like I fell into a time warp. (Too bad that time warp wasn't 1792 Philadelphia, huh.) Not sure if it is the issues with the site, or my connection. Both are suspect.

Oh well. Nice pix and commentary.

roadrunner · September 13, 2012 7:25AM

I graded these first 6 coins coins almost exactly like Illini420 except I hit one on the Peace dollar: 1 right, 3 under, and 2 over.

The Merc, Washington, and $10 Lib are not coins I'd want to accept, not in the current quality driven market. If one is buying raw coins 1-2 pts below what they might grade you
can make good money. But if you're buying coins that could end up in a lower holder on the next resubmit, you might want to rethink that.
Here's a case where I like the way Illini420 is grading as he's not going to get hurt. The game has changed from 2007-2008 where it was pushing higher end coins up into the next
grade level. Now it's pushing those same low end coins back down where they came from. Back then, many accepted lower end coins because they needed product to sell.
No one is ignoring that difference today. I'd have to agree that the MS65 $10 Lib is on the line of having too many scuffs and hits. Few probably guessed 65 on this one.

What would be interesting is to resubmit these same coins raw and see how they come out. I think there'd be a few changes. The skills needed in the current market
include identifying high end coins for buying.....as well as avoiding the low end coins unless priced at appropriate discounts. The 2004-2008 market bailed us all out if we didn't have
this delineation correct. Worst you might do was break even. But, it's not doing that today.

claychaser · September 13, 2012 11:24AM

Added the previous grading champ Illini420's grades to the post as well as mine.

MikeInFL · September 13, 2012 11:27AM

<< <i>What would be interesting is to resubmit these same coins raw and see how they come out. >>

That would be VERY interesting. I've contemplated doing it on a few coins in my collection, but for some reason have just not pulled the trigger.

claychaser · September 14, 2012 11:21AM

To the top for the weekenders and to keep them together

Some musings from a runner-up in the PCGS Grading Contest - with pics, Coins 1-6, added Illini420's

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