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What grade would you assign to this ungraded 1916-D Mercury Dime?

MFeldMFeld Posts: 14,856 ✭✭✭✭✭

If you're familiar with the coin, please don't comment on the seller or any other discussion of it. Thank you.

Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.

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Comments

  • bigmountainlionbigmountainlion Posts: 261 ✭✭✭

    Ms67 fb?

  • AUandAGAUandAG Posts: 24,932 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hmmm, damaged rims?

    bob :)

    Registry: CC lowballs (boblindstrom), bobinvegas1989@yahoo.com
  • Aspie_RoccoAspie_Rocco Posts: 3,666 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wild guess 67/68fb if it gets a straight grade and is authentic.

    The rims are weird looking to me. I am not too familiar with Mercs but I see no obvious contact marks. Full split bands, nice luster. Grading is a weakness of mine that I wish to improve.

  • johnhenry9009johnhenry9009 Posts: 290 ✭✭✭✭

    I would say MS64 or AU58 with some cleaning. But I really just don't like how over exposed it seems to be along with the yellow and white lights they used which I think makes it harder to decently grade.

  • braddickbraddick Posts: 24,808 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Not saying it is this coin, I remember reading years ago about how a coin such as this would be drilled on the side edge and a tool used to push/punch up the metal. The tool would have the shape of the "D" mintmark on the tip of it. Again, not being disparaging of this coin- but those rims kind of remind me of reading about this and how interesting that alteration is.

    peacockcoins

  • Davidk7Davidk7 Posts: 534 ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 18, 2025 12:13PM

    AU details cleaned

    Collector of Capped Bust Halves, SLQ's, Commems, and random cool stuff! @davidv_numismatics on Instagram

  • jesbrokenjesbroken Posts: 10,600 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I see some slight rub on bust. AU58. Not a lighting expert so I'll take photos as tjey appear.
    Jim


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  • pcgsregistrycollectorpcgsregistrycollector Posts: 1,447 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Davidk7 said:
    AU details cleaned. This seller on ebay sells problem coins as BU+++

    He said not to comment on the seller

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  • ColonialcoinColonialcoin Posts: 738 ✭✭✭✭

    Forget the grade, what is the valuation of the coin?

  • MFeldMFeld Posts: 14,856 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Colonialcoin said:
    Forget the grade, what is the valuation of the coin?

    Please feel free to opine on that and the same goes for everyone else.

    Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.

  • pcgsregistrycollectorpcgsregistrycollector Posts: 1,447 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @MFeld said:
    If you're familiar with the coin, please don't comment on the seller or any other discussion of it. Thank you.

    65+ FB

    God comes first in everything I do. I’m dedicated to serving Him with my whole life. Coin collecting is just a hobby—but even in that, I seek to honor Him. ✝️

  • vplite99vplite99 Posts: 1,367 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Juiced photo. I'll say MS Details.

    Vplite99
  • JeffersonFrogJeffersonFrog Posts: 1,084 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It's a picture. That said, I don't see any "natural cartwheel" luster. Cleaned (not harshly) - UNC details. Regardless, assuming it's not counterfeit, I like the coin a lot ... My guess at value is in the $15-$20k range.

    If we were all the same, the world would be an incredibly boring place.

    Tommy

  • rec78rec78 Posts: 5,868 ✭✭✭✭✭

    MS67+ FB. From the photos shown. However there must be a reason that the coin is not holdered.

    image
  • jfriedm56jfriedm56 Posts: 2,126 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The lighting has been manipulated to enhance the coin’s luster. Looks as though the rims have been worked on, possibly filed on the obverse. Surfaces look buffed or polished. AU details.

  • Davidk7Davidk7 Posts: 534 ✭✭✭✭

    @pcgsregistrycollector said:

    @Davidk7 said:
    AU details cleaned. This seller on ebay sells problem coins as BU+++

    He said not to comment on the seller

    Sorry, didn't read the caption for the post. Edited my comment to remove it, I suggest you remove my quote

    Collector of Capped Bust Halves, SLQ's, Commems, and random cool stuff! @davidv_numismatics on Instagram

  • coinhackcoinhack Posts: 1,173 ✭✭✭✭

    From the photos, MS66 Full Bands. From the creative use of lighting, I am guessing my opinion could likely change.

  • RelaxnRelaxn Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Mintmark added
    Details

    Pass
    No sticker

  • ConnecticoinConnecticoin Posts: 13,109 ✭✭✭✭✭

    AU details, hairlines, possible rim bumps.

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,831 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @braddick said:
    Not saying it is this coin, I remember reading years ago about how a coin such as this would be drilled on the side edge and a tool used to push/punch up the metal. The tool would have the shape of the "D" mintmark on the tip of it. Again, not being disparaging of this coin- but those rims kind of remind me of reading about this and how interesting that alteration is.

    I have only heard of the added embossed mintmark alteration being performed on buffalo nickels.

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  • privatecoinprivatecoin Posts: 3,639 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Cleaned au details

    Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc

  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 29,220 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 18, 2025 12:45PM

    Ill be the dumba$$

    It's bogus 😒

    That's a weird looking toning to me as well

  • FlyingAlFlyingAl Posts: 3,891 ✭✭✭✭✭

    AU Details, leaning whizzed from the photos.

  • ColonialcoinColonialcoin Posts: 738 ✭✭✭✭

    That is the kind of coin that I would need to see in hand as the images of the coin are not enticing to me.

  • Cougar1978Cougar1978 Posts: 8,771 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 23, 2025 11:13AM

    I have to wonder why it’s not been graded or is this some crackuot? - is that rim damage lol. No go for me.

    Grade: AU details, cleaned

    Investor
  • PTVETTERPTVETTER Posts: 6,024 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Not gradable by PCGS

    Pat Vetter,Mercury Dime registry set,1938 Proof set registry,Pat & BJ Coins:724-325-7211


  • SurfinxHISurfinxHI Posts: 2,579 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It screams wrong. A 5-15k coin ungraded? Hmmmmm

    Dead people tell interesting tales.
  • ShurkeShurke Posts: 650 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This seems like a textbook example of a coin that begs the question: Why isn’t this piece in a TPG slab?

    I’m guessing it’s AU details.

  • dan91659dan91659 Posts: 26 ✭✭✭

    counterfeit coin, as I see it

  • MFeldMFeld Posts: 14,856 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 18, 2025 2:01PM

    @PerryHall said:
    I'm guessing this is a trick question. There is no way that anyone with any common sense would buy a five-figure key date coin that has been very heavily counterfeited without it first being slabbed by a major grading service or at least being first examined by an experienced professional grader. From the pics it appears to be a AU58 or perhaps MS63 give or take a point but I'm guessing there's more to this coin that what's visible in the pics.

    It’s not a trick question. The ungraded coin was auctioned a couple of months ago.
    Yesterday, a poster on another forum started a thread, raving about it and strongly disagreed with those of us who didn’t appreciate it nearly as much as he did.😉

    So I decided to start a thread here, soliciting additional opinions. And on the other forum, I stated that I wouldn’t add my assessment here until at least 10 members had replied. Since that bar has been met…
    the coin looks AU, cleaned to me.

    I’ll wait a few more hours, then post a link to the listing and the other thread.

    Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.

  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 23,836 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Fails to pass the straight grade test… or the straight face test.

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

  • Rc5280Rc5280 Posts: 568 ✭✭✭✭
    edited May 18, 2025 2:05PM

    @davewesen said:
    I would grade it something like * PRISTINE+ GEM BU MS MERCURY SILVER DIME *FROM ORIGINAL COLLECTION

    but actually liked it better as a 1916-D Mercury Dime NGC Unc Details (Art. Toned) before it was dipped and blasted with bright lights

    https://greatcollections.com/Coin/1767471/1916-D-Mercury-Dime-NGC-Unc-Details-Art-Toned

    Yep, that's it. And authentic, for what it's worth.
    Nice work.

  • MFeldMFeld Posts: 14,856 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Since it appears as if the coin has been identified, here's the thread on the other forum:
    https://boards.ngccoin.com/topic/437995-a-very-important-and-significant-raw-coin-has-entered-the-market-this-week-see-it-here-be-amazed/
    and the auction listing that was linked in the post directly above this one:
    https://www.greatcollections.com/Coin/1767471/1916-D-Mercury-Dime-NGC-Unc-Details-Art-Toned

    Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.

  • coinbufcoinbuf Posts: 11,820 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @MFeld said:
    Since it appears as if the coin has been identified, here's the thread on the other forum:
    https://boards.ngccoin.com/topic/437995-a-very-important-and-significant-raw-coin-has-entered-the-market-this-week-see-it-here-be-amazed/
    and the auction listing that was linked in the post directly above this one:
    https://www.greatcollections.com/Coin/1767471/1916-D-Mercury-Dime-NGC-Unc-Details-Art-Toned

    I'm not so sure this is a match. The GC photos show some obvious strike doubling in the rev letters of dime which I do not see in the ebay auction photos. There also appears to be a small scratch or line next to one of the leaves just right of the U of united. Admittedly knowing that the ebay seller manipulates his photos those may be there but not visible in the ebay photos.

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  • Walkerguy21DWalkerguy21D Posts: 11,697 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @FlyingAl said:
    AU Details, leaning whizzed from the photos.

    Same here, the unnatural toning and luster makes me think whizzed. Of course there could be other problems as well with the rims and the MM.

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  • BillJonesBillJones Posts: 34,796 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I’m going out on a limb and say MS-68, Full Bans. If it’s real, it’s the best one I have seen.

    Of course, I have never really owned a 1916-D Mercury Dime because the series has never been of interest to me. I did buy a sold EF example for a want list customer when I was a dealer. I didn’t really own it. I was a custodian until I sold it a few days later.m

    The best one I’ve seen personally was an MS-65 FB.

    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 ... ?
  • MFeldMFeld Posts: 14,856 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @coinbuf said:

    @MFeld said:
    Since it appears as if the coin has been identified, here's the thread on the other forum:
    https://boards.ngccoin.com/topic/437995-a-very-important-and-significant-raw-coin-has-entered-the-market-this-week-see-it-here-be-amazed/
    and the auction listing that was linked in the post directly above this one:
    https://www.greatcollections.com/Coin/1767471/1916-D-Mercury-Dime-NGC-Unc-Details-Art-Toned

    I'm not so sure this is a match. The GC photos show some obvious strike doubling in the rev letters of dime which I do not see in the ebay auction photos. There also appears to be a small scratch or line next to one of the leaves just right of the U of united. Admittedly knowing that the ebay seller manipulates his photos those may be there but not visible in the ebay photos.

    I made sure to say it “appears as if the coin has been identified” just in case. But while I don’t have the images pulled up at the moment, it looked as if there were some distinctive matching reverse rim issues.

    Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.

  • TrickleChargeTrickleCharge Posts: 279 ✭✭✭

    @coinbuf said:

    @MFeld said:
    Since it appears as if the coin has been identified, here's the thread on the other forum:
    https://boards.ngccoin.com/topic/437995-a-very-important-and-significant-raw-coin-has-entered-the-market-this-week-see-it-here-be-amazed/
    and the auction listing that was linked in the post directly above this one:
    https://www.greatcollections.com/Coin/1767471/1916-D-Mercury-Dime-NGC-Unc-Details-Art-Toned

    I'm not so sure this is a match. The GC photos show some obvious strike doubling in the rev letters of dime which I do not see in the ebay auction photos. There also appears to be a small scratch or line next to one of the leaves just right of the U of united. Admittedly knowing that the ebay seller manipulates his photos those may be there but not visible in the ebay photos.

    The rim marks match up though. It's likely the scratches we are seeing were either edited out as you suggest or we are seeing scratches on the holder.

  • dcarrdcarr Posts: 9,103 ✭✭✭✭✭

    MS details, significantly polished, possibly "whizzed".

  • ShurkeShurke Posts: 650 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I’m perplexed at how invested the guy on the NGC forum is in a coin he doesn’t own.

    I did get a chuckle though out of his proclamation that it will make waves in the coin world.

  • redraiderredraider Posts: 261 ✭✭✭✭✭

    He may have bought this coin, hence the defensive attitude he has when others say problem coin. I have learned to stay away from this seller no matter what. Very deceptive and lacking numismatic morals.

  • 2windy2fish2windy2fish Posts: 866 ✭✭✭✭✭

    AU details Polished

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