Please Help with this 1894-O Barber Dime
rkp
Posts: 448 ✭✭✭
Hi,
I recently purchased this raw, better date 1894-O Barber dime for my album and would like to hear opinions from people who are much more knowledgeable than I am. Specifically I was wondering about:
1. The technical grade - I think it is at least an F-12 maybe an F-15 as all the letters of "LIBERTY" are showing and parts of the upper and lower band; both obverse and reverse surfaces are clean, relatively mark free; and the right side kernals on the reverse are nice for a coin in this lower grade; but the leaf below the "D" is weak.
2. Originality - I think it is an original coin as the color inside the letters are the same as the fields and there are no hairlines
3. Strike - I read somewhere that you can tell if a coin was struck from weak dies if the low relief areas are mushy. I think this is the case for this coin especially on the reverse since the edges of "N", "E", "I", and "M" of "ONE DIME" are merging with the fields and not well defined.
I would greatly appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!
I recently purchased this raw, better date 1894-O Barber dime for my album and would like to hear opinions from people who are much more knowledgeable than I am. Specifically I was wondering about:
1. The technical grade - I think it is at least an F-12 maybe an F-15 as all the letters of "LIBERTY" are showing and parts of the upper and lower band; both obverse and reverse surfaces are clean, relatively mark free; and the right side kernals on the reverse are nice for a coin in this lower grade; but the leaf below the "D" is weak.
2. Originality - I think it is an original coin as the color inside the letters are the same as the fields and there are no hairlines
3. Strike - I read somewhere that you can tell if a coin was struck from weak dies if the low relief areas are mushy. I think this is the case for this coin especially on the reverse since the edges of "N", "E", "I", and "M" of "ONE DIME" are merging with the fields and not well defined.
I would greatly appreciate your thoughts. Thanks!
0
Comments
too big, too misshappen, I can't tell
here's the reverse of mine for comparison, which is graded by PCGS ... not a great picture
“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
It's tough for me to say without seeing it in hand, but it MIGHT have had a light dip at one point. Still a very nice looking coin.
I don't have any books handy and don't know the diagnostics of a 94-O offhand (Which is rather stupid of me as I collect VF Barber Dimes.... doh!) so I can't comment on the authenticity of the piece.
John - I see what you see, but I think the top part of that "E" is either dirt or toning or a shadow. In fact, if you look closer at where the bottom of the "E" should be, there does appear to be something there.
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that would raise Red Flags with me...speaking of which...
here's a red tinted pic of my 1894-O Reverse...PCGS 58, at left: & at right, a newly graded AU 55:
Sorry the images are so small...
BTW...the AU 58 is at the photographers for a better image.
EDITED: 5/9/10 - to add the AU 55 Rev
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images. I would grade it Fine-15 and price it closer to VF-20 money, and be very
happy to have it in my set.
The 94-o date is always a good buy, so you did good. The coin looks original to me too.
I don't have much experience in the mint mark variations, so I can't help you there.
Nice one.
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“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
Typical New Orleans softer strike. Original. Nice catch!
Steve
<< <i> The E looks way to high
John - I see what you see, but I think the top part of that "E" is either dirt or toning or a shadow. In fact, if you look closer at where the bottom of the "E" should be, there does appear to be something there. >>
Looks like dirt to me too. On my monitor, that part of the "E" is about 3 pixels wide, so I don't really see how anyone could
make a definitive statement about that area of the coin. If you enlarge the photos, it's still hard to tell. Anyway, that's a
nice coin. F-15 easy, maybe a 20. The reverse may have been cleaned long ago.
Thanks!
designset
Treasury Seals Type Set