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Washington Quarter GTG and please educate
jonathanb
Posts: 4,171 ✭✭✭✭✭
First of all, Washington quarters are not my specialty. I sent this in to our host because I was sending some other stuff and this one looked exceptionally nice so threw it in.
As it happens, the pics came out very well. I feel that they really capture this coin. Nice job on the photography!
So (a) Guess the grade.
More interesting to me, (b) Defend the grade. Why did this not grade a point higher or lower than your guess?
FWIW, this got a straight grade. This isn't a trick question. And yes you can look up the grade from the cert number, but that really isn't the point...
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I've seen some Washington Quarters get graded very conservatively. This series seems to be one of those series that can be tough to grade. I'm guessing they gave it a 65 for the light chatter in the field in front of Washington's face. I've seen MS-67's that look like the eagle was shot out of the sky by a shotgun. Either way, I would grade this one at least a 66.
Looks like a no-brainer 66. Pretty clean actually, but the chatter others have mentioned probably hold it back from 67 or 66+.
In my experience, it's awfully difficult for a blast white silver WQ to grade MS67 at PCGS unless it has fabulous luster. Therefore, I expect it graded less than that. The coin looks to me to be an MS66 and if it graded any lower than that then I would imagine there are difficult or near impossible to image hairlines or slide marks somewhere on the coin. I'm guessing MS66 with an outside chance of MS65 unless there are issues.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
From the TV, first look is 65. After I look at it, I guess 66. Looks like the slightest break across George's neck and a small hit on the eagles breast.
With such a large spread from 66 to 67, our host could also be hesistant to price a coin as a 67 unless they really see fit.
Although not quite as clean as your coin, I took a shot for a 67 with this coin. (I missed my shot)
The jump from 66 to 67 is a big one. As Tom said, luster has a lot to do with it.
MS66. The mark on the neck is in a highly visible location and should preclude a higher grade. If the luster is subdued it may have gone as low as MS65.
I would venture MS66.... not higher due to marks on neck and eagle... also, if those are hairlines behind Washington's head...and they may not be..... then 65 for sure. Cheers, RickO
MS65 due to weak strike?
Gotta go and look now...
My YouTube Channel
I see...
Beautiful coin indeed.
My YouTube Channel
I'll choose to educate...LOL.
IMO, there is no way to guess the grade of a fully lustrous, virtually mark-free coin, shown in one orientation of the light!
Since I see no obvious change of color due to stacking rub (OK) or friction wear (slider Unc), any answer from:
MS-64 to MS-67 is correct (the slash on the neck probably limits the "stretch to a top grade" to MS-66). You see, a gem coin such as yours with a small patch of hairlines can drop into the MS-64 to MS-65 range!
As several people have guessed, this graded PCGS MS 66. Good eyes to everyone who saw the mark on the neck. It's actually a whole lot more visible in the pics than on the coin in hand, where it's only really visible when you catch the light right. But it is there, a tiny little mark. That's the difference between 66 and 67, huh?
Nice Washington and you got some great opinions from some heavy hitters in the series.
The small mark mentioned may be what held it back and I'm learning that BOOMING luster carries the day.
It continues to amaze me that it takes a pic of my coin for me to notice things that I overlook otherwise.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
I'm guessing @TomB 's answer is closer: a nice, minimally marked coin is a 66 unless it has absolutely fabulous luster... I have had a grading expert give me a similar rule for common date buffalo nickles.