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Tricky GTG: 1945-s Mercury Dime -- Revealed in Comments
ProofCollection
Posts: 8,049 ✭✭✭✭✭
This GTG is more to tell an interesting story than to test skills because it will lead up to a story that will be told in the reveal. For now, opine on what you would grade this Merc. BTW this is a recent Trueview which I think is actually pretty decent.
I will reveal right now, the dime is NOT Details.

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MS66
Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc
MS67. Just missing FB.
MS67, 50-50 chance at full bands.
I will guess that it did make FB, barely.
Poor strike and marks on the Fasces put it at 65/65+ for me. I believe I saw this one at FB but I disagreed.
USAF veteran 1984-2005
Im in with a 67 as well, no fb
My guess is the same - 67FB.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
It looks beautiful and with terrific luster. I will guess either MS66 or MS67, but will not give an opinion as to FB or not since FB is a designation and you asked for a grade.
In honor of the memory of Cpl. Michael E. Thompson
IMHO MS-66 not FB
MS66, close to FB
MS66
I agree with 67 shot FB
66fb
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MS-67
Mike
My Indians
Dansco Set
I also agree with 67FB
64 no FB
I’m going to to say 66FB
Curiously, why do you think it is a 64?
Looks like putty and a scratch. But it’s off an image and just a guess
66FB.
The overall coin just seems ‘off’.
I completely missed that.
In light of the circled areas, if it is what it appears to be, I do think it probably ended up in a 63-64 holder given that you already disclosed it wasn’t in a details holder.
Interesting. I saw the "scratch" TDN circled, but I think that is die polish. I think the "putty" is light refraction, but that could be part of the OP's tricky statement. I do see some very minor haze in other areas so maybe some PVC?
All said, I would probably call this a 66+ from what I can see (I'm really torn with whether I see it as a 66 or a 67), and I am on the fence on the FB designation (I kind of hope it DIDN'T get it, because they don't look quite full, but I also hope if you made it, you got it).
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
---- REVEAL ----
It seems the answers are where they should be and are in line with my thoughts. As I am a frequent submitter to our host, I've noticed that within the past few years they have tightened up considerably, I presume due to the presence of CACG. They've been issuing grades that I believe are at least a tick lower than they would have been 3-4 years ago and on a few occasions lower than CACG. This is one example that helps to prove my case. Now for the story...
So what's the "real" grade? Per JA, at lest 66+. Maybe 67.
For anyone interested, I'm going to be sending this to GC in the coming weeks.

Was the mark at 2:00 a luster graze?
The interesting thing here is that the 65 grade ended up being better than an upgrade to a 67 since it now gets a gold sticker and should sell for more than a 67 green cac.
Yeah, here I am trying to upgrade my coins by a measly plus grade and @proofcollection is playing 4D chess by unlocking the downgrade-to-gold-sticker game. 😂
Well played.
Nothing is as expensive as free money.
Yeah, it's not like a hit or nick, it's just smooth and shiny metal there like I've seen on other Mercs.
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The central circled area is where the metal is not moving under the die, so there is a natural matte-like texture there.
There is a similar vertical band, matte in texture, on the cap. That is also as-struck.
The upper right circled area is not really a "scratch". It is a feeder-finger scrape on the die.
Repeated feeding finger scraping also took out the leg of the "R" (P) in LIBERTY.
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I'd rather have the CAC gold sticker than a 66 or 67 grade especially on a coin like this. Congratulations to the OP.
@ProofCollection you opened with This GTG is more to tell an interesting story than to test skills because it will lead up to a story that will be told in the reveal
You did not disappoint, cool outcome.
I didn't see the "R" till you pointed it out.
Pete