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What series do you have the most difficulty accurately grading?

UtahCoinUtahCoin Posts: 5,366 ✭✭✭✭✭
in U.S. Coin Forum
What series do you have the most difficulty accurately grading?

I seem to need help in two areas.
For some reason I have a difficult time grading Buffalo Nickels.
Looking at my PCGS submissions, I really need help with early 1950's proof coins.

And you?

I used to be somebody, now I'm just a coin collector.
Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award, April 2009 for cherrypicking a 1833 CBHD LM-5, and April 2022 for a 1835 LM-12, and again in Aug 2012 for picking off a 1952 FS-902.

Comments

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    SmEagle1795SmEagle1795 Posts: 2,209 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Moderns. My eyes can't tell the difference between a 69 or 70 except for the price jump...
    Learn about our world's shared history told through the first millennium of coinage: Colosseo Collection
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    OKbustchaserOKbustchaser Posts: 5,570 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Any of them other than bust material. I simply haven't done the work necessary to figure out the vagaries of other series.
    Just because I'm old doesn't mean I don't love to look at a pretty bust.
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    BillJonesBillJones Posts: 35,968 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Moderns. My eyes can't tell the difference between a 69 or 70 except for the price jump... >>



    That goes without saying.

    For me it is the Standing Liberty quarters in the circulated grades. Once you get below high end AU, I think that all of them are over graded.
    Retired dealer and avid collector of U.S. type coins, 19th century presidential campaign medalets and selected medals. In recent years I have been working on a set of British coins - at least one coin from each king or queen who issued pieces that are collectible. I am also collecting at least one coin for each Roman emperor from Julius Caesar to ... ?
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    tightbudgettightbudget Posts: 7,299 ✭✭✭
    I don't really deal much with early coinage (e.g. Flowing Hair and Bust Types) so I would consider those to be my weakest areas especially in lower grades.
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    renomedphysrenomedphys Posts: 4,026 ✭✭✭✭✭
    AU vs. MS EAC is troubling sometimes.

    Empty Nest Collection

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    DIMEMANDIMEMAN Posts: 22,403 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Buffalo Nickels and Standing Quarters.
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    AMRCAMRC Posts: 4,280 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Incluse Gold.
    MLAeBayNumismatics: "The greatest hobby in the world!"
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    123cents123cents Posts: 7,178 ✭✭✭
    Circulated early commemoratives. You just don't see that many of them.
    image
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    stevebensteveben Posts: 4,666 ✭✭✭✭✭
    those i don't collect, but sometimes buy on impulse anyway. usually, i get burned. ;-)
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    PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 47,796 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Incluse Gold. >>



    If you mean incused gold like the $2 1/2 and $5 Indian gold coins, I agree.

    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

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    fastfreddiefastfreddie Posts: 2,976 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Incluse Gold. >>



    If you mean incused gold like the $2 1/2 and $5 Indian gold coins, I agree. >>



    +1
    It is not that life is short, but that you are dead for so very long.
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    guitarwesguitarwes Posts: 9,308 ✭✭✭
    Standing Quarters
    $2 1/2 & $5 Indian gold
    EAC
    @ Elite CNC Routing & Woodworks on Facebook. Check out my work.
    Too many positive BST transactions with too many members to list.
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    L1ncolnF4nL1ncolnF4n Posts: 153


    << <i>Incluse Gold. >>


    +1
    Specialist in Lincoln Cents, Toned Type, and Slab enthusiast.
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    bronzematbronzemat Posts: 2,703 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Peace dollars & Morgans.
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    derrybderryb Posts: 38,623 ✭✭✭✭✭
    all of the above

    "Money does not care about speeches on morality. Capital asks whether the rules will remain the same tomorrow. With inflation, people assume price is the problem, and propose regulation—but price is simply the message." - Martin Armstrong

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    RollermanRollerman Posts: 1,908 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I agree with the OP on the Buffalo nickels and recuse gold would be next for me.
    Pete
    "Ain't None of Them play like him (Bix Beiderbecke) Yet."
    Louis Armstrong
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    keyman64keyman64 Posts: 15,650 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Buffalo Nickels! I think I know them pretty well but then I see PCGS slabs in MS66 or better and it looks like the Buffalo was shot by a bunch of Indians and then I see MS65 examples with hardly a mark on them. image
    "If it's not fun, it's not worth it." - KeyMan64
    Not really looking for much these days but if I were, it might be a toner. :smile:
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    MikeInFLMikeInFL Posts: 10,192 ✭✭✭✭
    Mint state Buffs and incuse gold would be #1 and #2 on my list.
    Collector of Large Cents, US Type, and modern pocket change.
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    RYKRYK Posts: 35,801 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Mint state Buffs and incuse gold would be #1 and #2 on my list. >>


    Flip #1 and #2, and you have my answer.
    My Box of 20: https://pcgs.com/setregistry/collectors-showcase/box-20/ryks-gold-box-20/17132
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    hchcoinhchcoin Posts: 4,843 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Buffalo Nickels by far
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    MacCrimmonMacCrimmon Posts: 7,058 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>Mint state Buffs and incuse gold would be #1 and #2 on my list. >>


    Flip #1 and #2, and you have my answer. >>




    Bingo! Both are a different breed of coin......takes a lot of lookin', lookin', lookin', before your eyes are cookin'.

    And then there's those really good Indian counterfeits, or just bad c/fs, but can you tell the diffs?


    In fact, that might be my next "goal in life"; coin life, that is. Assemble a Superb Gem+ mintmark set of Buffalos, and $2.5 & $5 Indians..........oh yeah, put an * by that '09-O
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    BryceMBryceM Posts: 11,941 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Ha. The list of what I'm comfortable with is much shorter.

    I can hold my own in Peace Dollars, Walkers, Morgans, and most 1900s type material.

    Buff nickels and gold remain slightly mysterious. With early copper, non-existent would be a flattering description of my comfort level.
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    CrusoeCrusoe Posts: 82
    Incuse gold and, believe it or not, Morgan dollars.
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    nwcoastnwcoast Posts: 2,906 ✭✭✭✭✭
    AU-MS buffalos are tough on me as well.
    I also have trouble judging luster through darkly toned silver.

    Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014

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    TwoSides2aCoinTwoSides2aCoin Posts: 45,242 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Every series I submit to PCGS is obviously difficult for me to grade. When they return , they rarely match the grades I assigned them. Sometimes they're graded higher, sometimes they don't grade at all. I think you get the picture.

    Practice makes perfect & nobody is perfect. So, practice being nobody.

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    TPRCTPRC Posts: 3,819 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Incluse Gold. >>



    +1

    Tom

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    TPRCTPRC Posts: 3,819 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Morgan dollars have got to be the easiest coins to grade accurately and consistently. Gold in general has always been difficult for me as it is soft and I have a tendency to under-grade it.

    Tom

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    CocoinutCocoinut Posts: 2,562 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Mint state Buffs and incuse gold would be #1 and #2 on my list. >>



    image

    Jim
    Countdown to completion of my Mercury Set: 1 coin. My growing Lincoln Set: Finally completed!
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    NewEnglandRaritiesNewEnglandRarities Posts: 1,139 ✭✭✭✭
    As a dealer in colonial coinage and exonumia I could certainly understand someone answering colonial coinage. Many pieces are net graded for issues that are pre (and of course post) strike and very often certain types and varieties are struck very weakly, adding to the confusion of the grading of these pieces accurately.

    For me, I would say the hardest for me is high grade 1900s federal coinage of most types. I just have always had a hard time distinguishing the difference between say 64 and 65 on many pieces, but I must admit, I have never really taken the time to learn properly.
    New England Rarities...Dealer In Colonial Coinage and Americana
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    johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 34,330 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Incluse Gold. >>

    that goes for me as well
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    s4nys4ny Posts: 1,594 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Incluse Gold. >>



    I agree. Also (if it matters) the difference between MS69 and MS70 on American Gold Eagles, Buffalos, and modern gold coins.
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    PokermandudePokermandude Posts: 2,713 ✭✭✭
    Pretty much all US coins other than Morgans, Peace dollars and bust-era coins.

    Probably my worst is buffalo nickels. I have a few raw ones in third world plastic (part of a large collection) and I have no idea if they are AU-50, MS-64 or anything in between. Once I get some good pics I'll probably do a GTG (with no results) on here image
    http://stores.ebay.ca/Mattscoin - Canadian coins, World Coins, Silver, Gold, Coin lots, Modern Mint Products & Collections
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    DorkGirlDorkGirl Posts: 9,994 ✭✭✭
    V-nics. image
    Becky
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    EdscoinEdscoin Posts: 2,028 ✭✭✭
    Buffalo Nickels,
    I can't tell a VF from an AU, or an MS60 from an MS 67!image
    ED
    .....................................................
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    yellowkidyellowkid Posts: 5,486 ✭


    << <i>all of the above >>

    image
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    ElcontadorElcontador Posts: 7,743 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Capped Bust Halves from MS 58-63. See too many coins I think are sliders in Unc. holders. I'm fine above or below these grades.
    "Vou invadir o Nordeste,
    "Seu cabra da peste,
    "Sou Mangueira......."
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    SenexSenex Posts: 483 ✭
    Peace dollars
    Incuse gold
    The difference between MS69 & 70 on moderns.
    I'm a pretty fair grader of Canadian classic pre-1968 silver. Nickels give me problems and high MS copper also.
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    mozinmozin Posts: 8,755 ✭✭✭
    The Classic Commemoratives are the hardest for me to grade. There are so many different designs, and I always have problem grading middle MS anyway.
    I collect Capped Bust series by variety in PCGS AU/MS grades.
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    LeeBoneLeeBone Posts: 4,901 ✭✭✭✭✭
    More than a few...
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    lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 45,379 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Peace dollars, Franklins, and Washington quarters have all given me occasional headaches, due to their somewhat flatter relief. Oh, and Pratt-designed Indian Head gold with the incuse designs.

    My favorite series to grade? Maybe Indian cents. I like all of the late-19th century stuff with LIBERTY on the headband- counting letters and partial letters is easier. (Not that that's the only grading focal area, of course, but it helps.)

    Collector since 1976. On the CU forums here since 2001.

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