Hi, all. Here's a pic of a 1934-D Peace Dollar I recently purchased. There are two major varieties this year -- small and large mint marks. I think this one has a small mint mark, judging from other photos I've seen, but it's tough to determine since the mint mark has several placements on different dies. What do you think? Also, I'm self-grading this as MS-64 -- it has full mint luster, and only a couple hairlines in the field and one on the cheek visible. I'd also welcome your feedback on this grade. Thanks.
Forgot to ask. Do you have an ANA grading guide? If so, look at the page beginning w/Peace dollars and follow along. AFTER you try it by yourself. Unc coins (your photo shows very little change of color on high points = Unc Contact marks: Detracting marks in prime focal area = 63. Detracting in prime & secondary area = 62 Heavy (detracting) marks in prime and secondary = 61 Heavy all over = 60 So far it is a 62, 61, or 60 Hairlines:Your coin shows a few random but NO PATCH. so... Few scattered to path = 62 Patch or continuous over surface = 61 So far it is still a 62, 61, 60 Luster: Your coin has most of its luster remaining (may have some luster breaks when rotated) but it is impaired Original, or slightly impaired = 63 Original or impaired = 62, 61, 60 So far it is a 62, 61, 60 Eye appeal: Your coin is not very attractive. Generally acceptable = 62 Unattractive = 61, 60 So after the "run down" in the grading guide. I'm 61 at the MAX, IMO many would be MS-60. Just to confuse you: From what I have seen today on another CT thread, some posters would grade your coin AU Details Harshly Cleaned...LOL
Made an error above in contact mark section. Heavy marks = 61, 60 ONLY. That plus low eye appeal locks in the grade. Easy right?
Here's a better pic using the new technique I've learned in the past couple of days. Though my technique can still be improved since I just can't seem to capture the luster I see in-hand. Most of the scratches you see in this high resolution photo aren't seen with the naked eye, so it looks beautiful in hand. For grading, I'm referencing Coin World's "Making the Grade" book, third edition. Their MS-63 note for a Peace Dollar says "uncirculated with attractive mint luster, which may be slightly impaired. May have distracting contact marks in prime focal areas and a few scattered or small patch of hairline scratches." When you get down to MS-61 it says things like "unattractive coin" and "noticeable patch or continuous hairline scratches". So that's my reference material and source of all my learning thus far.
I'm sticking to my guns IMO, the MS-63 in MTG has Very Pleasing Eye appeal (66); Fully original luster (65,64); No hairlines visible in photo (so undetermined grade) AND detracting marks in PFA (63). Difference between their coin and yours is Eye Appeal, luster, and much fewer heavy marks. IMO, their coin LOOKS like an MS-64 all day long Vamworld site still "down" for Mintmark opinion.
From the second set of photos I'd call it large D The d appears to be filled but it's difficult without seeing the coin. Do you have any other Denver minted coins from that time period like the thirties to compare size. The first set of photos it appears to be an open D so I would say small. Check some out on eBay and compare. Grade ms 60 to 61. If the coin had no other hits other hat the one on the cheek and the gouge on the eagle 63 but with all of the other clatter 61 if the luster is solid like you say.
I think I found a graded twin to my 1934-D coin (not a twin by grade, just by type). Heritage calls this a "medium D" and the NGC label does not say anything about the size of the D or a VAM type. http://coins.ha.com/itm/peace-dollars/1934-d-1-ms65-pcgs-cac/a/1198-10908.s?type=NGC1198#
Here is a link from some nice person who posted a really great photo of the two varieties of mintmarks. Small or Micro D versus a large or medium D........ https://www.bing.com/images/search?...07999820089263837&selectedIndex=47&ajaxhist=0 What you have appears to be a medium (or as some say) large D. Now perhaps someone out there can help me with a similar issue. I have several 1934-D peace dollars. There are basically two types of large (medium) D mintmarks that were issued. One being a filled D and the other being a clear, or unfilled D mintmark. The large/medium D mintmark is designated as a Vam-2 being a normal die, medium D, however Vamworld does not differentiate between the filled and unfilled D. The picture they have of the normal die shows a medium unfilled (or clear) D mintmark. Don't you think they should also have a VAM for the filled D mintmark (normal die)? They do show a few VAM's with a filled D but they all have other attributes, like a double die right, or something. It seems to me that there should be a listing for both types of medium D mintmarks. One for a normal die clear (or unfilled D) and one for a normal die filled D mintmark. I mean each 1934-D peace dollar has a VAM designation, except the filled and unfilled medium D mintmarks. Perhaps someone knows how to contact someone from Vamworld to point this out? I would appreciate that information. Just for the record, I know of no examples of a filled micro D mintmark, so one of the posts here is correct when they say a filled D is a medium or large D. Check the link I provided to check your mintmarks as the medium D is actually defined by the size and position of the mintmark, not whether it is filled or not. One last thing I should clarify. Just as some coin graders call the mintmark large, others call it a medium. Just as some graders call the original mintmark small, and some call it micro. There are only two different mintmarks. The original being a small or micro D, and the later pressings being a medium or large D. The story I heard is that the mintmark was changed from small to large (or micro to medium) as someone in power felt the original mintmark was too small; and had it changed. Let me know what you folks all think.
Thanks for the post; however, I think we are going to find that there are more mint mark positions than the two shown in the link.
PR, see if this is helpful, I don't think it's a micro D, but can't really tell from pic http://www.vamworld.com/1934-D+VAMs
As if it were not confusing enough, smile...Yes, there is also a high micro D and a low micro D, not to mention the micro D tilted right, and one pic from Vamworld which shows a D mintmark aligned with the edge, rather than lined up under the word "ONE". The link I provided was merely to provide information on the basic differences between the medium D and Micro D. Thank you for the input though. Yes, there are a few other positions for the micro D mintmark, but none that I know of for the medium or large D mintmarks.
